Her Heart is Black
by xImpossibleGirl
Summary: Alice Evans was damaged at best. She was a mess, torn apart at the edges by a life of abuse. Alice was a aspiring wrestler, but she finds herself in a predicament she can't get herself out of. Based in the indies. Jon Moxley/OC
1. Chapter 1

The blonde woman was crumpled against the floor, a pile of blood pooling around her head. She coughed, spitting up blood. She was a sad little thing, her small frame curled tightly into a ball. No tears fell from her eyes, she was angry, her eyebrows knit together, but her face was contorted in pain. She tried to pull herself up, but only fell again.

"Pathetic." A man spits at her, gives her a swift kick to the midsection, "Can't believe I call you my daughter." Black spots darken her vision, she can hear his boots walking away from her. She can hardly breathe as she pulls herself up, her midsection screaming in pain, she grabs at the wall, edging towards the door. Alice didn't ask for this life, she just wanted to be happy. She placed her hand on the knob, pushing it open. The sun hits her hard, she tightens her eyelids, firmly closing them. She walks towards her car, fishing out the keys.

* * *

"Where the hell is she?" Joey Mercury snaps as he watches Tyler Black and Jon Moxley do runs in the ring. He stares impatiently at his watch, "I don't care who you fucking are, if you get a lesson with me, you don't stand me up."

Jon flies off the ropes, launching himself towards the other side, "Probably just another stuck up model chick trying the wrestling scene. Nothing to get your panties into a bunch about."

Joey leans against the ropes, "My hunches are never wrong, Moxley, this one was special."

"Bet you say that about every girl you fuck." Jon says bitterly, laughing at Joey as he kicks off the ropes again.

Joey rolls his eyes, "Start practicing pile drivers guys. I'm going to see if Hero has talked to her today." Joey steps out of the ring, walking over to Chris Hero, another guy in the indies. "Hey, you talked to Alice today?"

Chris looks up at him, setting his bar down, "Nah, maybe she fell down the rabbit hole again." Chris says with a light laugh, pulling himself up. He grabs a towel, wiping his face down, "Don't worry, she probably overslept."

"Not like her." Joey says, turning back towards the ring.

Just then, the door opens. A woman straggles in, her hair is unkempt and her eyes are wild and bloodshot. She's bleeding profusely and she's walking as if she's drunk. Her lip is bleeding and she nearly collapses.

Joey turns, turning to see her. "Alice!" He shouts, running over to her, "What the fuck happened to you!" Alice just about falls into his arms. "Shit shit shit. Chris, grab the first aid kit!"

* * *

Alice wakes up, staring at the ceiling of Joey Mercury's gym. She groans, feeling her head to feel a bandage where the cut was. Alice pulls herself up, her body feeling broken. She sees Joey talking hurriedly with Chris, Jon, and Tyler. She absentmindedly feels her lip, feeling the wound still there, fresh. She winces, pulling her finger away. Alice stands up, stepping out of the ring.

"You're going to tell me what the fuck just happened. No lies, none of your usual bullshit." Joey storms over to her when he realizes that she's awake. "No falling down the stairs, no running into doors. None of that. You've walked into my gym with black eyes, fucked up lips, but nothing like this. I can't look over this, Alice."

Alice looks down at her converse, "Nothing happened." She brushes past him but he grabs her arm, she winces.

Joey notices it, rolling up her sleeve, he sees a string of bruises. "Oh Alice." He whispers.

Alice licks her lips, "You don't need to worry." She says hastily, grabbing her arm back and pulling her sleeve down. "I have it under control, I'm handling it." She charges for the doors.

"Is this what you call handling it?! Who is beating the living shit out of you?!" Joey shouts at her, charging after her, "Is it some abusive boyfriend I don't know about? ALICE!"

Alice whips around, storming towards him, "What do you want me to tell you? I'm a trained wrestler - and I can't even handle something like this. What does that make me? TELL ME!" She shouts at Joey.

Joey looks at her, then he turns to the three men, watching the two curiously, "You three, scram, beat it. Go get washed up, you're all done for today."

"Alice-" Chris tries to reach out.

"Go." Joey snaps at Chris, "If you all want careers, you'd go shower, and leave us alone."

The three men disperse, each one throwing Alice and Joey concerned looks, or curious looks.

"You won't tell me what happened, fine, but I won't let you stay in that house anymore. You're moving in with me."

Alice's mouth falls open, "No way in hell - besides don't you already live with Moxley-"

"We've got a spare room, we used it for the punching bag, but you need me right now."

"I don't need anyone."

"Shut up, Alice. When Moxley is done showering, we're going to go grab your stuff."

Alice sets her jaw, folding her arms across her chest, "You can't just make me move out of my apartment - I'm fine in my apartment."

* * *

Alice eventually lost the argument, when Joey threatened not to train her anymore, she gave in. Jon Moxley came out of the shower, not saying a word when Alice hopped into the passenger's side. They arrived at her apartment, and Alice raked her eyes nervously for him.

She shakily put her key into the lock, her cat Wilson came bonding down the hallway. Mewing at her, pawing at her legs. "Hey buddy." She says, giving him a pat on the head. She beelines for her room, ignoring the blood in the kitchen.

"Scene of the crime." Jon whistles, walking into the kitchen, "Surprised she didn't bleed out, fuck."

Joey is behind him, stepping into the kitchen, "So, abusive boyfriend seems like the best case." He looks over at the knocked down chairs, picking them up. "She fought."

"Not hard enough." Jon puts his hands in his pockets, "You sure about letting her live with us? I'm sort of unstable, might be overwhelming."

"I'm sure. Better having her around a nutcase instead of having the shit beaten out of her in her own kitchen." Joey runs a hand over his head, "This is fucking scary." He pauses, "ALICE! You about done in there?"

"Do we have to bring that demon?" Jon nods at the cat, "Ain't much of a animal person."

"Done!" Alice announces, stepping out of her room to find them in the kitchen.

Joey turns around, "Boyfriend?"

"Don't have one." She says as she scoops Wilson up, putting him into his carrier along with some of his toys. "Stop asking questions."

Joey walks over to her, "I want to know what happened."

"What? So you can protect me from the big bad wolf?" Alice rolls her eyes, "I'm handling it." She insists, "Let's go so we can get this over with."

* * *

She laid in bed, tossing and turning. She heard loud moaning noises coming from Jon's room, to which she had to layer her pillow around her ears. She finally got frustrated, getting out of bed.

Alice poured herself a glass of water, and sat at the counter, placing with the ice cube in her water.

"You still up?"

She looks over to see Jon Moxley, standing at the other side of the counter, shirtless and in jeans.

"Can't sleep." She says, "Thin walls."

Jon chuckles, walking over to the fridge and grabbing the milk. He grabs a glass, setting it down next to Alice. He sits beside her, pouring the glass then taking a sip. "Best get used to that."

Alice drinks her water, "Didn't know you were into whores."

"All men are into whores, sweetheart." Jon smirks, taking a long drink of his milk, "It's the girls like you that aren't as fun."

Alice looks over at him, looking at him through narrowed eyes, "What the fuck are you talking about, Moxley."

"Ain't easy. Just a bunch of fucking games. Probably why I haven't even bothered trying to fuck you, you'd just swat me away with your high as fuck standards." Jon chuckles darkly, downing the rest of his milk, "Trust me sweetheart, you ain't that special." He gets up, about to walk away.

"Hey Jon."

He turns around.

"Fuck you." Alice bitterly says.

Jon laughs, going back into his bedroom, "I know."


	2. Chapter 2

Alice's dreams were plagued with nightmares. Bleeding lips and swollen eyes, crawling on the floor, trying to get up, only to be painfully bashed to the ground again. She hated herself, she hated that she couldn't do anything.

She still loved him.

Father or not.

She woke up in a cold sweat. Joey hadn't moved the punching bag out of her room, so Alice got up and threw on gloves. She swung at the bag viciously, tears stinging her eyes as the nightmares and reality came back in flashes until she couldn't tell the two apart.

A soft knock sounds at her door, a groggy Joey Mercury's voice makes it's way through her door. "You okay in there, Alice? Can I come in?"

Alice stares at the door for a few seconds, wiping the sweat off of her face. "Yeah, come in." Joey steps into the room, eyeing her, "I'm fine." She insists, "Really, you're worrying for no reason." Alice shrugs, taking the gloves off her hands.

Joey sits on her bed, sighing, "I'm worrying for no reason? You're up at.. 4 AM punching a bag.. yeah you're right, nothing to worry about. I worry about _you_, I've never seen someone look that scared before."

"I wasn't scared." Alice insists, folding her arms over her chest.

"Right, okay." Joey stands up again, "Just, when you finally decide to talk, I'm here, okay? Any hour of the day."

Alice looks down at her feet, then she looks up at him with a sad smile. "Thanks." Though she knows her secret will forever lay in the bottom of her heart, only to fester and terrify her in her dreams.

Joey leaves after wishing her a good night and telling her what time they were training tomorrow. Alice turns on her phone, going through her texts. She sees one and feels her heart fall.

_Hiding already, I should have known you little bitch_.

She switches off her phone before the tears begin to fall.

There's no escape.

* * *

Alice is training hard, harder than usual. Her busted lip seems to give her more strength, as she floats through the warm up with a fever. She wrestles until Joey tells her she needs to chill or else she's going to hurt her opponent.

By the end of her training session, she can barely breathe. But it's welcome to her. Wrestling made her forget, it made her forget the bruises, the blood, the horror. It made her only focus on one thing, winning. That, Alice loved to do. She owed wrestling her life, if she hadn't found wrestling, death would have found her sooner. She'd escape in the middle of the night to sit in a ring and happily wither away.

"You were on fire today." Chris Hero says, coming up behind her with a towel. "Someone threw gas in the tank, eh?"

Alice gives him a little smile, patting her face down with the towel. "Guess you could say something like that."

"You feeling okay? You seemed pretty..."

Alice cuts him off before he can say 'scared'. "I'm fine, really. Everyone needs to just, stop bugging me about it. If I wanted you to know, you'd know." Alice shrugs, wrapping the towel around her neck, "Just how it is."

Chris nods, "I know what'll cheer you up. Chinese food sound good?"

"Sounds great. How about around seven. Though I have a few dozen hot dates to cancel out on." Alice says with a laugh, patting down her forehead.

"I don't want to pull you away from your fanclub or anything." Chris jokes, "Do you have a match at Ring of Honor this weekend?"

Alice scratches her head, pondering, "Hmm, I'm not sure. I'll have to ask Joey, though he's probably convinced himself I'm in no emotional state to wrestle."

"If anything, you're ready to kill someone."

"More reason why he wouldn't let me in a ring."

Chris leans against the wall, "How's life in the Mercury household? How's Moxley?"

Alice rolls her eyes, "Fuck Moxley."

"You two are getting along."

"I want to hit his face, with a frying pan."

"Best friends already I can tell." Chris quips with a smirk. "What did he say?"

"He said I had high standards and that I wasn't, quote on quote, 'special'. Fuck him, he doesn't know anything. He's just pissed I'm not willing to jump on him like every other female in the Earth's population." Alice rolls her eyes, picking at her nail, "He had a whore over."

"That's Moxley."

Alice rolls her eyes, "Doesn't mean I need to deal with it."

"Invest in ear plugs." Speak of the devil and he shall appear, Alice thought bitterly as Jon Moxley walked over to them. Hands in his pockets, sly smirk in place. "Didn't know you were the jealous type."

"Not for you." Alice snaps, "I need to go take a shower."

"Want to conserve water?" Jon asks, that smirk growing bigger.

"I think I'd rather drown myself actually. Or fling myself off a building. Whichever gets me away from you faster." Alice snaps at him, darting away before she can raise her fist to his face.

"See you at home!" Jon calls after her, then he turns to Chris, "No lady can resist the Moxley charm."

Chris laughs at him, folding his arms against his chest, "She might stick forks in your eyes while you're sleeping if you keep this up. She isn't one for bullshit, especially not anyone else's but hers."

Jon licks his lips, his smirk taunting and his eyes almost predatory, "I love a challenge." He quips. his eyes following her as she went to the showers.

* * *

Chris and Alice sat on her bed, chatting excitedly while eating chinese food. It was hard to believe this was the same Alice who staggered into Joey's studio only a day or so ago. It was hard to believe someone so happy could be so miserable.

"He said he loves a challenge?" Alice laughs, nearly choking on her chicken fried rice, "You've got to be kidding me. One good reason why I shouldn't run in there and stick pins in him."

Chris gives her a large smile, "Because that would just be _challenging_ him."

Alice punches his arm, "You suck, seriously. Why'd you have to tell me? Were you worried I'd be seduced by his ever growing asshole-ness? Oh you know I just love those ego maniacs, damn, how'd you know my weakness?"

Chris shrugs, "I have no idea, I just know you love those jerks. Something about how they treat you like shit."

"Trust me, Jon Moxley is just another ego maniac on some kind of ego trip. Soon he'll plummet from cloud nine, hopefully land on his head a few times, and come back to reality, if only for a few minutes."

"You two are getting along." Chris comments with a roll of his eyes, "You two live together, you're going to have to get along. What are you going to do? Barricade yourself in this room?"

Alice puckers her lips, "What? Is that not going to work?"

"Not if you want to stay sane."

"Damn." Alice clenches her jaw, "I'll just ignore him, and if I'm in the unfortunate situation of having to talk to him, I'll cleverly change the subject. Such as a gradual shift into the weather or, I'll do what I do best, bolt."

Chris chuckles, shaking his long hair, "Try to be friendly."

Alice raises an eyebrow at Chris, "I'm nothing but friendly."

"Uh, no you aren't. You have two settings, one being, I'll bite your face off, or two, I'll tolerate your existence. Moxley only fits under one of these settings, and since we're having this conversation, it's obviously not the tolerance one."

Alice rolls her green eyes at him, flicking her golden hair over her shoulder, "I'm just going to ignore him."

* * *

Chris leaves and Alice waves him away. Jon Moxley is sitting on the couch watching TV, Alice is pretty intent on running back into her room and bolting the door, but he stops her.

"Running off so fast?"

Alice turns around, her hand on the knob, to see Moxley staring devilishly at her, "Just doing some clean up."

"Uh huh, sure you are." Jon turns back to the TV, smirking.

She storms over to him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I scare you."

"You do not."

"Then why are you running?"

"I am not."

"So defensive."

Alice's face flames, "I'm only defensive because you make stupid accusations."

"Ouch, little kitty got claws." Jon says, folding his arms over his chest, "Come on, entertain me."

"Fuck you, Moxley." Alice growls, turning on her heel, but he grabs her wrist.

"If you weren't scared, you'd stay."

"If I wanted to keep my sanity, I'd go. I think my sanity is much more important than proving your stupid conspiracy theory." She wrenches her wrist out of his grip, storming towards her room, fuming.

Jon still has that smirk on his face as he watches her close the door. "Fucking terrified." He finally decides, taking a swig of his beer.


	3. Chapter 3

Alice was frustrated, she hit the punching bag at Joey's gym with a fever. Joey had yet to stop bringing up what had happened to her a few days ago. She had yet to quench the urges of wanting to hit him instead of the punching bag.

"You know, you act like you're tough shit."

Alice turns around, wiping the sweat off her brow to see Jon Moxley.

"What kind of game you playing?" He asks, stopping the swinging punching bag, "Come in here, tell your little pity story, hope Joey will toss a few promoters your way. Is that what this is? Eh? Too scared to talk huh?"

Alice glares at him, "Your stupidity is just a tad bit overwhelming for me." She tightens her blonde pony tail, "Are you always this ignorant or is this a new habit you're just picking up?"

Jon steps closer to her, eyeing her, "I don't know what you're up to. But you're fucking Joey up, he can't focus whenever you're in the damn room because he's tripping over himself to get everything your little heart desires." Jon says with a light poke to her heart, "So, you should stick to modelling or whatever the fuck it is you actually do, because this isn't your world, _sweetheart_."

Alice steps closer to him this time, jutting her chin up defiantly, "Here's the thing Moxley, you're sitting there, with your little smirk, thinking you know everything about me. This world, is the only one I've ever known. This is my home, and I'll be damned if I let some asshole who thinks he knows me run me out of it. So why don't you go back to lifting your weights, and for once in your damn life, shut up, because you don't know _anything_ about me." Alice snaps at him.

Instead of looking offended, Jon cracks a smile, tilted to the side, he licks his lips, "You know, you're pretty sexy when you're angry, babe."

Alice steps away from him then, storming away. Not saying a word, because he wasn't worth what was going to come out of her mouth anyways.

* * *

Alice's best friend was flying in from the United Kingdom. She waited at the airport, trembling with excitement. Her best friend, Saraya Knight, departed from her plane. Alice waited anxiously, until finally, she saw the familiar black haired woman walk through the airport towards her.

"Oh thank god." Alice says as she launches herself at Saraya, wrapping her arms around her tightly. "You cannot believe how much I needed you."

Saraya laughs, dropping her back and returning the hug. "I know you're not much of a hugger, so I'll take what I can get." She says in her thick British accent, "I know, you texted me a gazillion times asking me when I was visiting."

Alice steps out of Saraya's arms, smiling still, "Argh you just cannot believe the week I've had."

"Well, we've got a good two hour road trip ahead of us, so we can start there." Saraya picks her bag back up, putting it on her shoulder. They walk towards the exit, Alice fishes out her car keys.

"Not sure if you'd believe any of it." Alice admits with a dry laugh. They arrive at her car and Alice pops the trunk, Saraya puts her bag in the trunk and Alice slams it down. They both get into the car.

Alice explains her story, each detail, everything. The abuse, Joey forcing her to move in with him, threatening her career. Saraya listens quietly, kneading her hands together when Alice highlights the abuse part.

When Alice finishes, Saraya looks up at her.

"Why won't you tell them?" She asks.

Alice stops at a red light, sighing, "I don't want them to pity me, I don't want to see their faces fall, I don't want any of it. I shouldn't have stumbled into that gym, but I knew there was no one else that could help me."

Saraya puts a hand on Alice's shoulder, "They won't pity me."

"You are, right now. I saw it, the signature face fall. It's inevitable." Alice eases forward again, driving through winding traffic, avoiding Saraya's face.

Saraya leans her head against the window, "I'm sorry.. it's just.. so sad."

Alice in response turns on the radio, and they drive the next hour in silence. Alice stops in front of a hotel, getting out and popping the trunk.

"Look, I'm sorry." Saraya finally breaks the silence, "It's hard not to feel bad after what you've just told me."

Alice nods, taking the bag out of the trunk and handing it to Saraya, "I figured. I don't want to tell Joey because then he'll start thinking I'm mentally incapable to wrestle. I've been pretty.. reckless, lately."

"I know, I saw your last PPV match. You were a wreck, I'm going to be honest because you need to hear it. You're out of there, okay? He doesn't know where you live, he can't control you anymore, don't let him get up here too." Saraya taps the side of Alice's head.

Alice nods, giving her a small smile, "I have a match at Ring of Honor this weekend, you should come. I'll try my best not to be a wreck."

"Ah, to see the amazing Alice in the ring again, in person. Last time we did that some drunk spilled beer on me and I almost punched someone, so yes, of course I'll come." Saraya links her arm through Alice's. "Let the chaos ensue."

* * *

Alice and Saraya talked until 1 AM, then Alice decided she better head back. They bid their goodbyes and Alice drove home. When she arrived, she saw Jon Moxley sitting on the couch, getting drunk, with some whore sleeping on his lap.

"Keeping it classy, Moxley?" Alice asks, taking off her leather jacket and hanging it.

Jon turns around, his eyes dazed and half closed, "You know it, baby. Wanna join the party?"

"No, in fact, I think it's time for you to leave the party. Go to bed." Alice says, dropping her keys in the bowl, "You're going to look like death at Ring of Honor tomorrow."

Jon stands up, the whore's head falls back against the couch, still snoring happily. "Whatever you say babe." He walks over to Alice, "Now what's a nice girl like you doing up this late, hm?"

Alice rolls her eyes, gently shoving him away, "Go to bed."

"Will you come with me?" He asks with a crooked smile.

"No." Alice shoves past him, walking to her room, "Seriously though, get some sleep. You're going to be hungover tomorrow, and you'll need all the sleep you can get."

Jon's lips curve into a smirk, "Aw, so nice to see you caring about me, babe."

Alice rolls her eyes, opening her door, "It's not for you, it's for Joey, so you don't give him a bad rep." She shuts the door and bolts it before she can hear what he has to say next.

* * *

When Alice woke up, it was 1 PM, she turned off her alarm clock, got out of bed, took a shower, went through the motions. She yawned as she exited her room, fully clothed and ready to go. She packed her bag for Ring of Honor and grabbed a cup of coffee.

Jon woke up a little while later, bitching about his head, "God fucking damn it, hungover as fuck." He groans, popping a few tylenol and downing two cups of coffee. He eyes Alice, "There was a chick on that couch, where'd she go?"

Alice turns around, "I don't know where you stuff your whores, Moxley. She probably left after she passed out on your lap."

He walks over to Alice, plopping down so close to her that their thighs touch, he rubs his head, "Shit, I barely remember anything. Fuck fuck fuuuuuuck."

"Are you always so lovely in the morning?" Alice asks, taking another drink of her coffee.

He tugs on a strand of her blonde hair, "Not in the mood for your smartass-ery this morning, princess. You got a match tonight too? We could carpool."

"Carpool with the great Jon Moxley? Oh boy is this Christmas?" Alice mocks in a sarcastic tone, "I'm bringing a friend so you'll have to tag along with us then."

"Is she hot?"

"She's off limits."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Because she's off limit to you." Alice side eyes Jon, "If you go near her I will probably bite your face off."

"Kinky."

Alice glares at him, "Not kinky, not in the good way, in the bad way."

"There's a bad way for that?"

Alice turns away from him, biting her lip, frustrated, "Just shut up, please. You're giving _me_ a hangover."

Jon grins, tugging on her hair again, "I like you with curly hair."

"I'll make sure to straighten it from now on." Alice snaps at him, scooting away from him on the couch, to which he responds by jumping even closer, letting an arm drop around her shoulders.

"Are _you_ off limits?"

"Definitely, way off limits." Alice says, plucking his arm off of her shoulder.

"I'm more of a rule breaker, babe."

Alice stands up abruptly, storming towards her room, "Find a different ride, I'll probably end up smashing your side into a tree if I get the chance." She slams the door and touches her burning cheeks.

Fuck Jon Moxley.


	4. Chapter 4

It was brutal. Brutal wasn't even the word for what Jon Moxley was doing in the ring. By the end of the match, he was so ensnared in barbed wire, some guys had to come and cut him out. He still had a sinister smirk on his face as Alice watched, shifting uncomfortably. She swallows the bile in her throat.

"I'm really happy we didn't carpool now." Saraya says from beside Alice, propping a hand on her hip, "That guy is a lunatic, absolutely bonkers. Nearly killed himself out there."

"No kidding." Alice says, her eyes still trapped by the TV, "I wouldn't want blood on my seats."

Saraya rolls her eyes, "You're bunking with that maniac? Perhaps I should force you to come back to the UK with me. You don't seem to be doing so hot on your own."

"You sound like Joey. What is everyone's fetish with kidnapping me?" Alice stretches her leg, pulling it up and holding it for ten seconds, letting it drop. "Can't get any peace anymore."

* * *

Alice wrestles with a fever. Joey had told her before hand that she had to keep her temper under control. To which Alice replied promptly with a, 'I don't have an anger problem!' Joey replied by chuckling, rolling his eyes, and walking away from her. Alice told herself to talk to him about 'her anger problem' later. Though he'd have a problem talking with forks in his eyes.

It was a 'fans bring the weapons' match. Someone had brought a lamp, a fucking lamp. Though Alice used that to her disposal, she had to be careful to dodge the more dangerous items. So she made sure to lunge for the dangerous items and use them herself. Someone had brought an old phone, to which she knocked out her opponent with.

It was an incredibly brutal thirty minute match. By the end, both women were on the floor, bleeding heavily, Alice could barely roll over to pin her. The bell rang and Alice's music hit, though she couldn't get up. Joey comes out, helping her up.

"That was amazing, kid." He says, putting an arm around her waist, hoisting her up, "Looks like we'll be meeting Moxley at the hospital."

It was all a daze after that, she remembered tripping, quite a bit actually. She remembered Saraya gushing about her match. She remembered getting into the car. Then nothing, nothing at all. She felt strong arms lift her up, she opened her eyes and saw Jon Moxley, though that couldn't be. He was in the hospital, he couldn't be hoisting her up in his condition.

When her eyes open again, she's staring at a white ceiling and hears an annoying beeping. Alice turns, opening her emerald eyes to stare at her heart monitor. She reaches out to touch it.

"Morning, princess."

Her heart rate speeds up at the familiar voice, she turns to see Jon Moxley sitting beside her bed. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Hospital had to treat you for heavy blood loss, transfusions and all of shit. Got you all stitched up, but don't worry, scars are sexy." Jon says with a smirk, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on Alice's bed.

Alice feels the back of her head, feeling some stitches, "Where's Saraya and Joey? Please tell me they didn't leave me with you in a vulnerable state."

Jon smirks, "Nervous about being alone with me?"

"You're the one that should be nervous, you'll have forks for eyes if you say the wrong thing." Alice tries to pull herself up but winces, "There's stitches in my back too?" She groans, laying back down.

Jon gets up, walking over to her, he tears the IV out of her arm, to which she shrieks in pain. "Joey already signed your release forms and Saraya dropped off clothes. So go to the bathroom, get dressed, and we'll go get you something to eat."

Alice gets up, slowly, she clenches her jaw in pain. Jon reaches out to help her up, but she swats him away. She stands up unsteadily, she grabs the clothing by her bedside, "You think I'll go eat with you?"

"I don't think you've got a choice, princess." Jon picks up his leather jacket off the chair, "Hurry up, I ain't got all day, or I'll change you myself."

Alice glares at him, instead of giving him a witty response - such as a punch in the face, she goes into the bathroom. She sees the top Saraya picked out for her is flowy, so it won't irritate her stitches. She thanks god for Saraya and slides it on without much pain. She pulls herself into the ripped shorts and struggles putting her boots on. She worries about ripping the stitches but keeps going. She makes it through, lacing them up. Alice then finds a hair brush, she quickly slides it through her long golden curls. She slips off the hospital gown and drops it in the laundry bin.

"Lets go." Alice says, holding the back of her head, grimacing, she limps as she walks.

Jon stands close behind her, she gives him a questioning look and he smirks, "Just to catch you. Though I'm enjoying myself." He says, putting a hand in the middle of her back.

They walk outside, Jon leads Alice to a torn up mustang, it's black and it would be sleek provided it didn't look like it went through hell and back. Jon opens the car door for her and she steps in, not even bothering to look at him. She sees a condom wrapper on the dash board as Jon drops himself into the drivers seat.

"Always classy." Alice notes, eyeing the wrapper then glancing over at him.

"I don't have anymore so if you want to play.." Jon's about to say but she stops him.

"Remember that part about me sticking forks in your eyes? This is you, dancing on the border of that." Alice snaps at him, turning to look out the window as he starts up the car.

"Does getting stitches and pumped with drugs always make you so bitchy?" Jon asks, pulling out of the parking lot.

"No, you make me bitchy." Alice growls.

Jon turns on the stereo, Alice is pleasantly surprised when My Chemical Romance starts playing. She sets her jaw and is intent on staring out the window most of the ride.

"Problem with the music?" Jon asks, noticing her discomfort.

"No, no. I just didn't take you for a My Chemical Romance fan, I thought you'd be more of a scream-o and death metal type of guy." Alice says, shocked that this is the nicest conversation they've ever had.

Jon licks his lips, stopping at a red light, "Just because you don't like me doesn't mean my music taste has to be shit."

Alice doesn't correct him, and that irritates him.

"You seriously don't like me? Not even a tad?" Jon teases, bumping her knee with his hand. She doesn't respond so he goes to much more drastic measures. He pokes her side and she shifts frantically away from him. "Ticklish, are we?" He asks, and reaches out to poke her side again. She curses his long arms.

"Stop!" She just about moans.

"Admit that you fucking like me!"

"Jon!"

"I'm not stopping until you do." Jon says, promptly making sure to poke her harder, leaving a stinging in her ribs. "Come on babe, three simple words. Make this easier on yourself."

Alice gasps for air, "I am going to hit you with a bat!" She shrieks.

"That's close but not close enough." Jon taunts, one hand on the steering wheel and the other taunting her.

"I like you..r music taste!" Alice improvises, and his hand stops.

"I'll take that."

Alice breathes. "You know laughing isn't good for a chick with stitches, you idiot."

Jon pulls into a diner, "Come on."

Alice jumps out of the car and so does Jon, they both walk towards the diner. "I don't have my wallet I can pay you back-"

"No need." Jon says, "I've got it."

Alice's face flushes as they both walk in, they sit in a corner booth across from each other. "You are not allowed to ever tickle me again."

"Is that off limits too? You know, I'm not one for rules." Jon suggests, leaning forward in his seat with a smirk, "I'm probably going to break the 'I'm off limits' one too, just so you're aware."

The waitress comes by, "What would you two like?"

"We'll start off with two coffees, thanks." Jon says to the waitress, she quickly writes down their order and hurries away.

Alice leans back in her seat, raising an eyebrow at him, "What makes you think I'd let you break that rule?"

"Oh, that was a warning, it's inevitable, you and me. Same background, same smartass attitude, you hate me because I'm too much like you." Jon says, folding his hands on the table.

Alice's eyebrows knit in confusion, "My background? What do you know about my background?"

Jon smirks, just then, the waitress drops the two white mugs in front of the two. "Here you go, sugar is in that bowl."

"What do you know?" Alice says, moving the mug out of the way and leaning forward.

Jon takes a sip of his coffee, "I'll tell you what I know for.. a kiss." That smirk is back on his face.

Alice feels her heart lurch, doing a frantic back flip, "No way."

"Then I guess you won't ever know what I know." Jon says with a devilish smile.

What did Jon Moxley know and how was Alice going to beat it out of him without risking her sanity.


	5. Chapter 5

During the ride back, Alice couldn't even look at him without wanting to strangle him. What did he know, how did he know. He shouldn't know - he _couldn't_ know. Especially since he gave her a speech not so long ago about acting like a victim so Joey would get her sponsors. She had a huge headache by the time Jon pulled into Joey's driveway. Alice gets out quickly, not even giving him a fleeting look. She rushes up to the door, quickly throwing it open.

"Hey!" Joey says from the couch, turning around to throw her a smile, "There's my little warrior. Saraya got tired of waiting so she's at her hotel, she said to call her when you got back."

Alice nods, "I'll go do that right now." She says as she feels Jon Moxley behind her. She quickly goes to her room, setting herself on the bed. She grabs out her phone, quickly thumbing in Saraya's number. After a few rings, Saraya picks up.

"Finally, I hear from you! Thought they drugged you so badly they drove you to the morgue, sick match by the way, getting whistled at was worth it for that match." Saraya says in her chipper British accent.

"He knows, Moxley fucking knows!" Alice curses, racking a hand through her tousled blonde locks, "How the fuck could he know? Did you say anything?"

"Fuck no, I haven't been within twenty feet of him, barely in shouting distance." Saraya says, "Need me to stop by and stomp on his throat? Did he say how he knew?"

Alice shakes her head frantically, "No, and that's fucking worrying me. That means someone else knows if he knows. It's not like he just pulls this stuff out of his ass." She would pace, but the stitches in her back were bothering her.

"What if he's bluffing, Alice?"

Alice considers the idea for a moment, "Hold on, I need to call you back." She says quickly, ending the call before she even says bye. Alice gets up, walking out of her room, "Where's Moxley?"

"In his room." Joey eyes her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine I just need to slaught- talk to him." She stops herself before she can threaten his life, "Just need to talk to him. If I'm not out within 15 minutes, send in a rescue team." She goes up to Moxley's door, which is covered in band posters and caution tape. She knocks on it, and he shouts from inside. 'Come in!' She forces herself in, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I knew you'd give in." He says, laying on his bed, devilish smirk still in place.

His room was a mess. Alice could vaguely see a bright pink bra under his bed, but otherwise, his clothes were strewn through out the room. Along with various wrestling gear he toted around. It was a miracle he could find anything in here. A lot of women had lowered their standards to sleep with him in that bed. Alice couldn't even see the damn floor.

Alice rolls her eyes, reminding herself to calm down and not slaughter him. "What do you know, Moxley. No fucking games, no bullshit." She walks over to him.

Jon smirks, delighted by their little game of cat and mouse. In his eyes, the mouse was running right to him, the cat. "Huh, weird, I thought we had some kind of bargain going on, are you willing to oblige to your part if I tell you what I know?"

Alice glares at him, folding her arms over her chest, "I think you're bluffing, I don't think you know anything."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Does the name Francis sound familiar, Alice?" Jon asks, puckering his lips, "Hmm, was that it? Yeah, think that was it, wasn't it?"

Alice feels her entire body freeze, every murderous thought she had towards him shattered. Her mouth falls ajar, and she's not sure if she's breathing anymore. God damn him, he knows. He knows everything. The name Francis struck a cord throughout her, the familiar name from her nightmares.

"Who told you." She says quietly, not trusting her voice.

"No, I've told you enough, come on Evans, you think I give away this information for free? Just watch your back, princess. My background isn't too hot either, but at least it's not chasing me around town."

Alice turns on her heel, putting her hand on the knob. "If you tell anyone, I will-"

"Kill me, all of that shit, yeah, I know how our relationship works." He sneers.

She opens his door and makes a beeline for her own. Damn him. Fucking Jon Moxley, not only was he under her skin, but he was in her head now too.

* * *

Alice's stitches weren't stinging as badly, so she went in for practice. She went in early, before anyone had even shown up. Joey was nice enough to allow her to steal his keys. Okay, Joey may not have known about his random act of kindness, but Alice appreciated that he left them out in the open so ready for the taking. She punched the bags with a fever, running in between the ropes. Only stopping when her stitches made her wince in pain. There's a knock at the gym doors and she glances up through her sweaty haze. Her breath hitches when she recognizes the large hulking man in the doorway.

Francis.

Francis Evans, Alice's stepfather, stared at her with beady blue eyes. His hair dark and ruffled, so unlike her own. He looked like a hunter, as if he had just locked in on his prey. Alice was relieved she locked the doors now.

"Come on, honey, let me in, it'll be easier on you if you do as I ask." Francis coos, his long fingers coiling themselves around the door handle.

Alice walks over to the door, her eyes wide. "You can't hurt me anymore." She breathes.

Francis has his lips curled into an ugly smirk, "That's what you think. Now let me in, before I lose my temper, and I break these windows. Joey would love that, wouldn't he? How would you explain it to him? Would you tell him you tripped? Would you say it was just an accident, totally random? I trained you well, didn't I? Such a good liar, oh so good." He sneers, "Unlock the doors or I'm going to do it, no more warnings, buttercup."

Alice reaches forward, feeling a lump form in her throat, she unlocks the door. Francis smirks, knowing he's got her just where he wants her. He opens the doors, his hulking 6'4 figure looming over her small 5'3 figure.

"Been a long time, hasn't it? Where have you run off to whore yourself to now?" Francis says, slinking throughout the gym with a predator-like gaze. "Those wounds are healing up nicely, aren't they?" Francis lets his thumb idly brush over her chin, "Come on, perk up, your Dad's here, show some respect."

Alice didn't like being afraid. She didn't like feeling so powerless, so helpless, in her own skin. Alice would admit, she was terrified, she tried not to freeze, because then he'd lurch at her. Just like the predator he was.

"You're not my father." Alice says in a small voice.

She regrets it when he grabs her, throwing her against the wall, his long fingers coiling around her neck. "You need to learn some damn respect, you little bitch. You think raising you was easy? You think I wanted to hit you? I had to teach you not to be _weak_. But here we are, you, still weak as ever. That mouth gets you into so much damn trouble, you don't even know." His fingers clench tighter and she gasps for air.

"P-please." She rasps.

"What did I teach you?" Francis shouts, holding her up until her feet are dangling.

"Don't beg." She rasps again, tears falling from her eyes as he drops her, allowing her to crumple to the floor. She feels the stitches in her back and she screams, the pain overwhelming.

Francis kicks her in the stomach as she struggles to get back up, "What did I say about screaming? Screaming means WEAKNESS! W-E-A-K-N-E-S-S!" He spells it out for her, as she rolls over onto her back, regretting the decision as the stitches make their presence more adamant. She grinds her teeth, she tastes blood as she bites down on her tongue.

Alice forces herself to stop crying, she sticks her lower lip out in defiance. "I'm not weak." She rasps, pulling herself up.

"Is that why you're screaming and rolling around on the floor?" Francis takes a few steps towards her and Alice is quick to take a few steps away from him. "Because you're _strong_? Don't make me laugh, kid."

"Too bad I wasn't kidding." Alice knees him in the groin, he rolls over in pain, "WHO'S THE WEAK ONE NOW?" She shouts down at him, then she delivers a swift kick to the abdomen, he shouts out in pain. She doesn't stop kicking, she can't stop kicking. If she stops kicking, it's over. Alice's kicks are harsh and surely will leave bruises, reminders. Pain is weakness, that's what he taught her. So he beat her until she stopped screaming.

"Alice, Alice, Alice!" She hears frantic shouting, then she feels strong arms wrap around her waist.

"No!" She screeches, turning around to give a good swift punch to the one who stopped her. She see's Jon Moxley, "W-what are you doing?"

"I should be asking you that!" Jon snaps right back at her, "What the fuck are you doing?"

Francis pulls himself up, eyeing the two. "So this is the one, eh?" He coughs out blood, "I taught you well, didn't I? We'll have to arrange another lesson, won't we?" He coughs again, "Whoring yourself around for this guy." Francis laughs, "Pathetic, as always Alice."

Alice charges towards him but Jon's arms are too strong and constricting, "Let me go!" She shouts.

"Don't bother, Mr. Moxley." Francis says, smirking at Alice, "My daughter has quite the anger problem. Put her on ice for a little bit, oh, and Mr. Moxley, we'll be talking again won't we? Our first chat was so lovely."

Jon doesn't say anything as Francis walks out of the gym, devilish smirk still in place as he limps away.

Alice whirls on Jon the minute he lets her go. "What does he mean, _again_? Have you been talking to him?! What the fucking hell!?"

Jon stares at her, mouth ajar, "What do you want me to say?"

"I want a fucking explanation!" She shoves at his chest, "What does he mean again?! Tell me, none of these fucking games anymore! What were you two talking about?"

Jon looks away, biting his lip, "I dug into your family history."

"Y.. you looked me up? Why, why would you do that? You don't even know me!" She scowls.

"I wanted to see what Joey was getting himself into with you. You're trouble in a small package, Alice, you know that, I know that. I didn't want Joey getting involved in all of this." He makes a motion towards the doors, "I did this for Joey, not for you, so don't go flattering yourself."

Alice glares at him, "You spied on me. You violated my privacy, you went and talked to.." She bites her lip because she can't even say his name, "You're a real fucking asshole. I thought you were one before, but now, I'm certain. Funny, considering I thought for a good five seconds 'hey, maybe Moxley isn't that bad after all' but here you go, fucking it up! Because you are that bad, you're talking about me being trouble, what about you? He would have left me alone! But you drew him out, you waved me in his face!" She's shouting, she's frantic, she's so fucking angry, she balls her fingers into fists. "You waved a juicy steak in front of a starving lion! Are you really that fucking stupid?"

Jon looks angry, he bites his lips and sets his jaw, "I'm not stupid." He says in a dark tone.

"Oh yeah, then what are you? You just put me right back in the face of danger! I finally had some sense of normal in my life, but then you! YOU!" She shouts, poking him in the chest, "You ruin it for me, why do you do this? Did you really just do this for Joey? To protect him from me?"

Jon grimaces, staring down at his feet, "I ain't a fucking child, you don't have to scold me like one."

"Stop acting like one then." Alice snaps.

"Yeah, you're hotter than hell, yeah, you've got some cool scars and you're a good as fuck wrestler, I'll admit that. But I ain't going to sit here, and let some small ass piece of a woman scream in my face for protecting my best friend. You're a fucking _hot mess_, that's what you are. You can't be normal with that fuck head lurking around every corner. He was going to find you, you know that right? You think I just set up this chain reaction? Open your ears, Princess, because I'm going to say something worth hearing, he came into this gym, looking for you. But oh me, oh smartass me, had to be the fucking hero, jumped right in his path before he could find you in the back. We made a deal."

"A deal? Didn't someone say making deals with the devil was a bad thing?" Alice says.

Jon rolls his eyes, "Not the fucking point. I told him to leave you alone, he protested, of course. So I cut him a deal, I told him if he left you alone, never showed his face near this gym or at any of your matches, I wouldn't rip him to fucking pieces."

Alice stares at him, she takes in air, looking to the side, folding her arms over her chest. "A lot of good that did, you just pissed him off."

"Here's the thing, whether you fucking like it or not. We're stuck like glue now." He knits two of his fingers together, "Because if I let you out of my fucking sight, shit like this happens. I had to follow you here, you get that? What if I hadn't been here? Joey would have unlocked his gym, walked in, and found your fucking corpse."

"I had it under control." Alice protests.

Jon nods, clicking his tongue, "Yeah? What if you hadn't? What if, he grabbed your ankle, countered you, and choked you out? Because he was about to do that, Alice. You don't fucking know, you underestimate these people. These psychos. I'm getting real fucking tired of you saying 'I've got it under control'. Because if you did, would we be in this fucking mess? Would I have to sit here shaking and trying not to punch a wall so I don't fucking scare you?"

Alice looks down, her emerald eyes suddenly filled with sadness. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Jon nods quickly, running a shaking hand through his hair, "I know you didn't. Go back home, take a shower, walk this off. Don't tell Joey, don't tell Saraya, this stays strictly between you and me."

Alice nods, she walks past him, then stops, "Hey Moxley."

He turns around.

"You aren't that bad."

Then she hurries out the doors.


	6. Chapter 6

Jon Moxley, potential friend or potential homicide victim, Alice couldn't decide. She laid on her bed, her hair still wet, pondering, thinking. Her stomach was still throbbing a tad, there would be bruises. Alice soon enough fell asleep. Though her dreams were instead nightmares, each of them worse and bloodier than the last. She woke up gasping. Her long golden hair was now super curly due to her falling asleep with her hair wet. She got up, brushed through it, and walked out of her room. She saw Moxley stumble in with a bloody lip.

"What the fuck happened?" Alice asks, going over to him, "What did you do?" She let her thumb skim his bottom lip.

He sucks in a breath at her touch, "Nothin'." He answers with a rough tone.

"I'm not stupid Moxley, who hit you?"

"No one."

"Stop giving me those answers."

"Don't fucking worry about me." He scowls, pushing past her and storms into his room, slamming the door shut. Alice sets her jaw, closing her eyes for a few beats, counting to ten so she didn't fucking kill him. So, potential homicide victim it was.

Some things don't change.

* * *

Alice sat on Saraya's bed, sipping from her Starbucks coffee. She had done what Jon had asked her to do, to keep Francis a secret. Though whenever Alice moved, her stomach hurt like hell. She excused herself and stood in front of Saraya's body mirror. She lifted up her shirt cautiously. Gasping when she saw the long patches of black and blue on her skin. They were dark bruises, decorated across her skin. She lightly poked them and clenched her teeth. They were hideous, she couldn't wrestle in a two piece looking like this.

Saraya knocked on the bathroom door, "Everything all right in there? You ill, by chance?"

"No." Alice called a little brokenly, pulling her shirt down with a sigh, "I'm fine." Her voice cracks and she knows it's a lie. She flushes the toilet and washes her hands, but the memory of those bruises are fresh in her mind.

She comes out, a little more broken than before. He had gotten to her again, Francis had found his way into her head, he had left those harsh foot prints on her stomach. _He had to pay._

Alice couldn't stop shaking as Saraya talked, her fingers balled themselves into fists.

"Are you all right?" Saraya finally breaks off her story, asking, "You're scaring me." She says with a pointed look towards Alice's fists.

Alice wasn't coping, she was angry. She wanted to make him hurt like he made her hurt all these years. Daddy's little girl was never an option, it was always get stronger. So she started wrestling, hoping to prove something to her father and herself. But she ended up addicted to it, the adrenaline, the ability to make someone else hurt - then the same hands that had maimed someone else would be filled with cash at the end of the night. She became addicted to inflicting pain on others.

Alice sighs, closing her eyes, "I'm sorry, I just, I need to sleep, I've been having a lot of nightmares lately, and I just feel like I'm losing my shit." She runs a hand through her hair.

"It's fine, go home, get some rest. Bring back the usual Alice tomorrow. I'll be leaving the day after, so I want as much of you as I can get before it's back to Skype." Saraya says with a sad smile, "Feel better."

Alice nods, fleeing Saraya's hotel room. When she exits, she finds an envelope on the ground. She picks it up, seeing her name scrawled on the front. **ALICE**. She leans against the wall, hastily ripping it open.

_You hurt me, so now I hurt everyone you love_. _Sick loverboy on me again and the brit gets it._

Alice feels her eyesight waver, black spots appearing in her eyes, she leans against the wall, closing her eyes. A tear slides down her cheek. Fucking Jon Moxley. She goes into the elevator, and she screams. Punching the wall. _Fucking Jon Moxley!_

She drove like a mad man, doing everything in her power to get home as fast as she could. When she got home, she threw open the door, Joey jumped, startled.

"What the fuck?!" Joey says, panicked, "Where's the fire?"

"Where the fuck is Moxley?" Alice almost growls at him.

Joey points towards his room and resumes to his movie, seeming visibly shaken by the very angry Alice. "I don't think you want to go in there!-" Alice ignores his warning and barges in.

Of course, there's some ring rat in Moxley's bed. "Out, now." Alice snaps at her, throwing her clothing at her.

The woman looks frightened, looking to Jon for instruction.

"Did I fucking stutter?" Alice snarls, "Get. The. Fuck. Out!" Alice is certain she'll grab this woman by the hair if she doesn't get going in about ten seconds. But the woman catches the shirt, quickly sliding it on. She brushes past Alice glaring, but Alice isn't caring about that.

"We need to work on your jealousy problems, babe." Jon says as he slides on a shirt.

"Shut the fuck up, for the first time in your miserable fucking life, shut up." She pulls the envelope out of the waistband of her jeans, tossing it at him. "Look what you fucking did."

Jon raises an eyebrow at her, so unused to seeing Alice this angry. He opens the envelope, pulling out the note. His eyebrows raises, then he whistles, "Damn."

She storms over to him, "Stay the fuck out of my life." She snatches the note from him, "Don't go near Francis, don't think about Francis, if he walks into the gym again, I'll handle it. I don't want the people _I love_, in danger because _you_ were being reckless."

Jon stays quiet, staring at her in wonder, "You think I fucking knew he was going do that?" He nods at the note.

"I warned you." Alice says in a broken tone, "I told you he was nothing but trouble, and he would do everything in his power to get to me. Mentally and physically. I don't know what you were thinking, were you trying to be some big super hero?"

Jon licks his lips, stinging when he comes across the cut, "I thought I could protect you, all right? This is all going to turn out fine, just, chill the fuck out for five seconds."

"In case you weren't paying attention." Alice leans close to him, until they're only a few inches apart, their noses almost touching, "This story doesn't have a happy ending." Then she storms out of the room, leaving Jon and herself shaken.

* * *

She does the only thing she can do. She blasts My Chemical Romance and hits other people so she forgets about her own pain. She wears t-shirts when she wrestles now, she tells people it's an insecurity issue, and they don't push. The bruises start yellowing, but they freshen up again with each new kick someone throws at her.

Alice had become a shell of herself, she was shaken and looking over her shoulder. She wouldn't talk to Jon, wouldn't even acknowledge his existence. He told himself she needed time to cool down, but the woman had the rage of an inferno.

Alice said goodbye to Saraya, relieved she was no longer in danger she gives her a hug. "I'll miss you." She whispers in her ear.

"I'll miss you more." Saraya jokes, choking on her tears, "This is always the toughest part, saying goodbye. Make sure you buy my PPVs, so you know, I can keep my job." Saraya says with a laugh.

Alice smiles back at her. The smile is broken though, pulled together at the edges, "Of course. Make sure you call, Skype me, text me, the whole drill."

They take a picture together and bid goodbye once more. Alice waves as Saraya boards her plane. She's not in danger anymore. Alice can breathe again.

She looks at the picture and sighs, their tear stained smiles bleeding through her screen. She sets it as her background and treks back home. Jon is sitting on the couch, drinking almond milk.

"Hey." Jon says as she enters, but she ignores him.

Alice heads for her room but feels a hand on her arm, pulling her back.

"You're driving me fucking crazy."

Alice doesn't respond, just staring at him, waiting for him to release her. She raises an eyebrow.

"Fucking talk!"

She doesn't say anything again, leaning against the wall, pulling out her phone, sifting through her messages. He snatches her phone.

"Alice."

No response.

"Come on."

Nothing.

"You can't still be pissed at me. She's gone, all right? So you have nothing to worry about now." Jon says, "And if it's me you're worried about, don't worry babe, I'll be just fine." He lets his hand draw up her arm and that triggers a reaction from her. She snatches his arm, twisting it behind his back, he shrieks in shock and pain.

"I can still be pissed at you, and if you ever call me babe again, or touch me, I'll fucking break your arm next time." She snarls into his ear, she releases his arm and pushes him away from him. Then she storms into her room, bolting her door. She delivers a swift kick to the punching bag, wishing it was Jon Moxley's nose.

There goes the potential friend idea.


	7. Chapter 7

Alice wakes up to an angry pounding at her door. She gets out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She walks over to the door, opening it to see Jon Moxley almost fall on her. He was wasted, she could smell the cheap whisky on him.

"We gotta talk." He slurs, pushing his way into her room.

Alice turns on her bedside lamp, "Jon, you're drunk."

Jon laughs, "I know, that's the miracle of all of this. You'll only talk to me when I'm drunk! So hereeeeee I am!" He slurs with a proud smile on his face.

"Go to bed, we'll talk in the morning." Alice is so fed up with Jon Moxley. She wants to hit him and strangle him, but she wants him to actually remember it. She opens her door, gesturing for him to leave. Yet he just collapses on _her bed_. Alice must resist the urges to slit his throat while he's passed out, but she just grabs her spare blankets and sets up camp on the couch. She falls asleep after much tossing and turning. She wakes up to Joey poking her cheek. She swats him away.

Joey raises an eyebrow at her, "Did your bed set aflame or something? Why are you sleeping out here?"

Alice groans, stretching her arms. She cracks her eyes open at him, "Moxley passed out on my bed, and there was no way in hell I was bunking in that room. I don't know the type of people that went through there."

Joey throws his head back and laughs, handing her a cup of coffee, "Here, you're going to need this so he doesn't wake up with forks in his eyes."

"You're too late, Joey, I finally got rid of him." Alice says with a dry laugh, pulling herself up. Joey sits beside her as she sips her coffee, she sighs. "I was thinking about moving back into my apartment."

Joey looks at her, surprised, "Did Moxley drooling on your pillow prompt this decision?"

Alice sets her jaw, looking at her coffee, "He's a big part of it, yeah."

Joey raises an eyebrow at her, "Are you liking him more than you should..? Is that why..?"

"I am going to hit you if you make such a ridiculous allegation like that again." Alice glares at him, drinking more of her coffee.

"Well, I don't want you to leave. I like having you around, you... liven up the place."

"I constantly threaten the lives of most of the people here. Liven is not the word for what I do." Alice says.

Joey laughs, scratching his stubble, "Besides, you've become such a better wrestler since moving in here. You're much more focused, more determined. Though we need to work on that anger of yours."

Alice's cheeks flush, she turns to him, "I do not have an anger problem!"

Just then, Jon walks out of Alice's room, dragging her Harry Potter blanket on the floor, "You threaten to stick forks in my eyes." Jon rubs his eyes, "I'm fucking beat. Why the fuck was I in your room?"

Alice turns around to glare at him, "You wanted to have a heart to heart conversation and decided that around three AM would be the best time for it, then you drooled o n my pillow for ten hours."

Jon runs a hand through his hair, yawning, "Where's the meds? I can't sleep this shit off."

"In the medicine cabinet, where they always are." Joey quips, "Man, Moxley, you really did get fucked up." He gestures to Moxley's face, "Who pissed you off this time? What did this one do?"

Jon absentmindedly lets his fingers touch his busted lip, "No one. They fucking deserved it though." He says with a dark look towards Alice, then he flees into the bathroom. Ruffling through the medicine cabinet.

"Moxley made a new friend." Joey lightly jokes, turning on the news.

_FRANCIS EVANS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY ABUSING HIS DAUGHTER FOR ALL OF HER LIFE._

Alice's eyes grow as big as saucers.

"Reports have come in that Elena Evans, fed up with her Father's stalking and refusal to leave her alone, has brought her to the decision to press charges." The news anchor says, "Apparently Evans father had abused her for all of her life, adult and child, in order to make her stronger. Reports are incoming."

"Know him?" Joey asks, looking at Alice.

"No, no I don't." She says, feeling her throat close up.

A picture of Alice's sister's face come up on TV. She felt her stomach lurch, her normally beautiful sister had her face beaten in. She had two black eyes, a busted lip, and a piece of glass in her cheek. She wasn't wearing her glasses in the shot. She looked horrific. So sad, so very sad.

Alice hadn't realized Jon had returned, he was standing behind the sofa, tooth brush in his mouth. "Well shit."

Joey and Alice whirl around to stare at him. Jon shares a knowing look with Alice.

"How about we go out to lunch today, Alice?" Jon suggests innocently, "I'm boring my fucking brains out."

Alice nods, sucking in a breath, "Yep, sounds like a plan."

Joey watches the two, "...Well, you two have fun then.."

Fun was the opposite of what they would be having.

* * *

Alice directs Jon to where her sister lives, in a beat up apartment building. Alice hops out, "Stay in the car." She demands. She gets out of the car, and to no surprise, Jon hops out too. "What did I just say?"

"You said stay in the car, too bad I don't fucking listen, I ain't that whipped, kid." Jon says, appearing at her side, "So, we going in or not?"

"Yes, because my sister just had the life beaten out of her. So she wants to see her fuck up little sister and this creepy man that won't stop following her. That ought to cheer her up. Get back in the car, Moxley."

Jon tilts his head to the side with a smirk, "You're embarrassed."

Alice blows air out of her cheeks, rolling her eyes, "You're an idiot."

"You embarrassed because I'm not some clean cut prude? Sorry babe, but you got me, and I'm not letting you walk in there alone. Fuck your sister's opinions of me, fuck _your_ opinions of me. I'm not going to let you feed yourself to the wolves."

Alice stays silent for a few moments, finally, she gives up, sighing, "Fine, come in. Don't say I didn't warn you." She walks up to the apartment building, pressing the buzzer.

_"Who is it?"_

"It's me, Alice."

The buzz indicates she was let in. Alice steps inside of the building, heading for the elevator. She punches in Elena's number and Jon and her go up. She's nervous, kneading her fingers together. They finally arrive, the door opens to reveal her sister's apartment a mess. Clothes strewn about, court papers on every counter top. Cigarette burning out.

"Elena?" Alice steps into the apartment, shouting over the loud music.

"She seems to be coping well." Jon mutters under his breath.

Alice shoots a glare at him. Then, Elena stumbles out of her room, cigarette clad in one hand. She was in a tight black dress, she takes a puff, looking at her little sister. "Well look at youuuuu." Elena coos, "My baby sister."

Alice flinches as Elena puts a hand through her long golden hair, "You got so pretty. What the fuck? I thought we agreed I was going to be the pretty one?" Elena throws back her head and laughs.

"I'm not here for chit chat, Elena." Alice snarls.

"So venomous, haven't changed that much apparently." Elena coos, giggling, "Who's this guy? Your newest bootycall, you dirty little gal." Elena elbows Alice in the ribs with a suggestive wink.

"No, he's not." Alice snaps at Elena, "What did you tell the cops?"

Elena collapses on the couch, kicking her legs up, "Oh the usual. About the weather.." She takes a puff off of her cigarette, "So tell me little sister, what's it like in the wrestling world?"

Alice glares at Elena, "You know that's not why I came here."

"Oh you came here to talk about our dear dear father." Elena says with a laugh, "We both know you were the favorite."

"If that was so, he wouldn't have kicked the shit out of me." Alice snarls at Elena, "Now what did you fucking tell them?" Alice goes over to Elena, standing over her with her hands on her hips.

"You supposed to scare me, Little Alice?" The old nickname for Alice slid out so easily from Elena's lips, she almost fell. Alice's mouth was ajar, "Francis told me that you kicked the shit out of him, then sent your little boyfriend to kick the shit out of him for you. Still so naive."

Alice sets her jaw, looking away, counting to ten.

"Still having anger problems?"

Alice reaches down and slaps her sister. Elena looks up, surprised, she picks up her fallen cigarette.

"Listen here, you can sit there, and think you're so much better than me. You've told me for years that I fucked up my life by picking wrestling over sitting on a couch with you and smoking myself to death." Alice growls, "Now you're going to fucking tell me what you told the cops or else I am going to punch you."

Elena raises her eyebrows at Alice, then she looks over at Jon, "You actually deal with this?" Elena puts the cigarette back on her lips, taking a puff before putting it in the ash tray. "You must really fucking like her." Elena dryly laughs, sitting up, patting the seat next to her, "Sit down, little sister, and soak in my wisdom."

Alice sets her jaw and bites her lip, but she sits down nonetheless. Elena tells Alice that she told the cops about the years of abuse, about their father's motto. How when Elena was working as a waitress, her father cornered her by the dumpsters, and beat the hell out of her. When Elena went back in, her boss called the cops, and fed up with Francis's handiwork, she told them everything.

"They should be talking to you soon." Elena says, "I'm not dropping the charges if that's what you came here to convince me to do."

Alice sits up abruptly, "You told them about me?"

"Got warrants?" Elena dryly laughs.

"No." Alice thinks about Joey, "Just, keep my name out of your mouth." She snarls at her, walking over to Jon and grabbing his arm, "We're leaving."

Right as they're leaving, Elena calls, "The sex better be amazing if you're putting up with her shit!"

Alice sets her jaw, leaning against the elevator as the doors close.

"Interesting family." Jon quips.

Alice closes her eyes, sighing, "I'm fucked."

"Yeah." Jon agrees.


	8. Chapter 8

She didn't let him talk on their drive home. If she let him talk, she was certain she'd make him eat his own teeth. So they rode in silence, Alice was nervously biting her lip, thinking of what to tell them when they came. Alice didn't like cops, simple as that, they poked their heads in and pretended they could fix everything. Yet the damage had already been done, so Alice instead shooed them away, because she was done.

Alice gets out of the car hastily grabbing her leather jacket, sliding it around her shoulders.

"You wanna talk?" Jon calls out, slamming his door shut.

"If I wanted to talk, we would have talked." Alice snaps, pulling her long blonde hair out of her jacket, letting it fall against her back. "Trust me, you are the last person I want to talk to about this."

"Well fuck me for trying to be nice." Jon quips.

"You should probably stop trying to do that around me."

"Yeah, you don't respond that well to emotions you don't have."

Alice whirls around, ready to hit him, "Shut the fuck up, Moxley."

"Hey hey hey, just a little joke, gotta lighten up this tension somehow. But if you need to talk, you've got me."

Alice looks away for a second, taking in a deep breath, "I don't need you."

Jon shoves his hands into his pockets, rolling his eyes, "Of course you don't, nobody fucking needs anyone. But you still have someone, just know, I'm still here. Your human punching bag. So, all right Princess? I was just tryin' to be fucking nice, apparently that's a sin or something with you."

Alice turns around, raising an eyebrow at him, "Jon Moxley? Being nice? Don't humor me." She whips back around, heading for the door.

"Believe it or not, some people are actually capable of that, being fucking nice. Though you wouldn't know a damn thing about that, would you?" Jon snarls at her, joining her at the doorstep.

Alice glares at him, putting her arms over her chest, crossing them, "I suppose not, why don't you go ahead and give me a big grand lesson about being nice? Since you know so damn much. Last time I checked, wasn't this just a 'pity story' in order to get sponsors?" She spits back his words at him, sinking through his skin like venom. She watches the light fall from his eyes, "Just what I thought." Alice grabs the knob and pushes herself into the apartment.

* * *

"Saw your sister on the news."

Alice looks up to see Chris Hero, her best friend, staring over at her. "Don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't bullshit me, Alice. I've seen you two together."

"Doesn't mean shit."

"She's your sister."

"Not anymore. She lost that title a long time ago."

Chris raises an eyebrow at her, "Elena Evans? Same last name, same golden blonde hair." He grabs a strand of Alice's hair, playing with it, "Just an uncanny resemblance then? She went to one of the shows last year. Tried to get you to quit. Just some random girl told you to quit wrestling?"

Alice picks up a weight, "Just leave it alone, Chris. She's nothing."

"Leave it alone? Alice, if what they're saying on the news is true-"

"It isn't." Alice snarls at him, "It's a filthy rumor she started up for attention, okay?" The lie sliding out easily between her lips.

Chris doesn't look like he believes her, "Yeah right, Evans. You may be a damn good liar, but not today. You're off your game." Chris looks over at Jon, "It's him isn't it?"

Alice looks at him confused, "What the fuck you talking about?"

"Jon, he knows."

"He doesn't know anything, and neither do you, so shut it. Jon has nothing to do with anything."

"Yeah he obviously has nothing to do with anything, he keeps looking at you, as if he's ready to sweep into action and save the damsel in distress." He snaps at her. Chris glares at her, "I'm trying to help you, but you keep pushing me away."

"Yeah, because this isn't something I need help in." Alice asks, putting the weight on the bench, "Don't worry about it, Chris. I'm fine. I'm not a fucking damsel in distress, I have it under control, Moxley just worries too much."

"So he knows more than I do, your best friend."

"I didn't have a choice."

"That right?"

"Yes, that's fucking right, he figured it out by himself." Alice snaps at him, "I'm not lying about this."

Chris grinds his teeth, setting his jaw, he runs a hand through his long blonde hair, "Yeah, right."

"Chris."

"You've been worrying me lately."

"No one said you had to worry."

"Who said it was a choice?"

Alice looks away from him, nervously biting her lip, "Well don't. I'm fine."

"Are you, are you really?"

"What are you trying to say, Hero? Just spit it out, I don't have the patience."

"You've been acting more reckless, angry, impulsive." Chris stands in front of her, his eyes serious, the teasing tone gone, "I want to help you, Alice. I know you don't like it, but I love you and I'm not going to watch you spiral."

Alice grabs her bag, "Then close your eyes." Alice says, her eyes sad, as she marches away from him, swallowing down the lump in her throat.

_I'm not going to watch you spiral_.

All Alice could do was spiral. She would swirl and spiral until eventually, she didn't know where or who she was anymore. Alice couldn't escape this trap, she couldn't escape her fate.

* * *

She was in the parking lot when Jon Moxley walked out, still shirtless, just in jeans. The cold October air whipped at Alice's face as she searched for her keys.

"What the fuck was that in there?"

She looks up to see Jon leaning against her car. "Nothing."

Jon raises an eyebrow at her, "You call that nothing? You just shot that guy down without blinking a fucking eye. You can't treat everyone like shit and get away with it. You can do that with me but not with Hero."

Alice looks away, frustration filling her features, she sighs, "Well what do you want me to fucking do? Everything is falling apart around me and I'm just fucking losing it! I can't be this bundle of happiness for you, Moxley. I'm so sorry that I'm so fucking screwed up."

Jon looks at her, his eyes filled with.. well damn, sadness, "We're all pretty fucked up."

"Well that's great to know I'm just a tad bit more fucked up than everyone else."

"You're better than this, you know that."

Alice finds her keys, turning to give him a questioning look.

"All this shit, the shit with your father and sister, you're better than it. Your sister went to drugs and alcohol, your father is just a fucking douche. You found an outlet, you found something to keep you alive." He nods towards the gym, leaning against her car, "You've got me, you know that, right?"

"You're doing that thing where you're being nice." Alice says, putting her key in the door lock.

"I'm starting to do that a lot."

"I've noticed." Alice comments, nervously biting her lip. "I treat you like shit a lot.. but.."

"What is this?" Jon asks, squinting his eyes at her, "No, it can't be."

"Shut up, Moxley, you're ruining it."

"Lips are sealed, kitten."

Alice resists the urge to scold him for the nickname. She fishes out her key, putting it into the lock. She opens the door, then turns back to Moxley, that knowing smirk gone.

"I'm probably going to regret this, but thank you." She says.

Jon looks at her, his eyebrows raised, surprised, "Well fuck, I was wondering when this would happen. I thought another 60 years before this happened, you're ahead of schedule."

Alice rolls her eyes, "Don't ruin it."

"Well.. you're welcome."

Alice gives him a small smile, "Though you're still the most annoying human being I've come in contact with. Probably still a piece of shit."

"There she is, my Alice."

Alice lets her mouth fall ajar, and she looks away from him, "I think I'll be going now if you get the crazy idea to try to hug me or something."

Jon leans in towards her, his lips by her ear, his hand on her waist, "I'd be doing a lot more than hugging." His voice husky in her ear, his lips briefly brushing against her ear, causing her to take in her breath sharply.

Jon Moxley had never had this effect on Alice before. It was a new feeling, needless to say, she hated it. For once, she wanted to stab forks into her own eyes rather than his. The lump in her throat was building so she quickly swallowed it, putting on her brave face, not letting him know that he effected her.

Alice pushes him away, a smirk on her face, "In your dreams, Moxley." She quickly gets into her car and he gives her a little wave as he walks back to the gym, hands in his pockets.

Alice puts her head on her steering wheel, sighing.

Something was different.


	9. Chapter 9

Alice awakens to the constant ringing of her cellphone, she groans, flipping on her bedside lamp, she grabs the phone. She presses answer and holds it to her ear, groggy.

"Hello?"

"Been a while, hasn't it, my dear?"

Alice feels her throat clog up, "Why are you calling me?" She pulls herself up, the covers dropping to her ankles.

"You're going to bail me out."

"To hell with that."

"You and I both know the charges won't stick, you won't testify and your sister tests positive for every drug on the chart. So who do you think I'll pay a visit to first? What about Jon Moxley? We have some business to take care of.."

Alice feels her throat closing up again, "Just tell me what to do."

Francis gives out his bank information so easily, Alice writes it all down, feeling tears sting at her eyes. Even from behind bars, he was fifteen steps ahead of her, she was never going to win. Alice promises to bail him out in the morning, and she lays back down, and she cries. She cries for the first time since he last beat on her, since the last time he put his fingers around her throat. She cries because she loses hope.

She cries because she doesn't think there's anything left.

* * *

Alice takes the $10,000, folding it and putting it into her wallet. She gives a small smile to the teller as she takes the reciept. She almost feels her eyes bulge out of their sockets. _You have 45,450 left in your account_._  
_

She pushes the receipt into her back pocket, hurrying out to her car.

In about an hour, she bails him out. She doesn't wait for them to get him, she just leaves. Alice wasn't sure if she could handle seeing his cocky all-knowing smile on his face without strangling him. She leaves twenty bucks with the bailiff to give to Francis so he can get a cab.

Alice gets back into her car, letting the cold morning air hit her in waves. She slams her hands against her steering wheel, "Damn it!" She curses, then she finally rests her forehead against the steering wheel, "Fuck." She finally says.

She starts the car and tears out before she can start having another mental breakdown.

* * *

She's training the next day when Jon Moxley gets into the ring, telling her sparing partner to leave. Alice eyes him as he puts on the gloves.

"Come on, start hitting. Don't tell me you haven't wanted to do this since the day you met me." Jon says, clapping his hands together, "Come on."

Alice lets her fists drop to her side, "What is this about?"

"Hero didn't show up today."

"How is that my fault?"

"He's your best friend and you basically told him to fuck off yesterday when he tried to help you. It's always you."

Alice delivers a swift hit to his padded hand, "Oh yeah? Always my fault, huh?" She hits harder.

Jon doesn't seem fazed by her punches, "Yeah, like you helping your Dad get out of jail. Your sister told me you bailed him out."

"When the fuck did you talk to my sister?"

"Before you showed up. She was frantic, saying he left threatening voice mails..."

"Who said I bailed him out?"

Jon raises an eyebrow at her, "We've got to teach you how to lie, princess."

She hits him harder, "It's none of your business." She snarls the last words through clenched teeth, she stops hitting him, clambering out of the ring. She storms away from him, taking her gloves off.

Jon follows after her, quickly but briskly, "We can't just fucking ignore this!"

Alice walks faster, "It'd be a whole lot easier if you'd shut your fucking mouth." She takes her pony tail out, letting her hair fall against her shoulders, "Jon, for once, just stay the fuck out of it!"

Jon matches her, chomping on her heels, "It'd be a lot fucking easier if some lunatic wasn't walking the streets. What did he threaten you with this time Alice? Saraya's at home, he can't do anything!-"

Alice turns around abruptly, almost causing Jon to crash into her, "He didn't threaten anything."

Jon bites the inside of his cheek, putting a hand on his hip, he uses the other hand to wipe the sweat off of his face, "That right?"

"Yes, it is, now leave me alone." Alice growls, turning on her heel.

"Lying, really not your thing."

Alice almost groans as she turns around to look at him, "Well since you know so fucking much, please, enlighten me. Spread your Moxley wisdom." She coos in a sarcastic tone, taking a step closer to him, "Since you obviously know more about my life than I do."

"You expect me to believe you bailed him out, no strings attached? I may be many things, but I'm not a fucking idiot, sorry to break the news, kitten." He sneers the word 'kitten', playfully bumping the bottom of her chin with his fist.

Alice sighs, "For once, can you just stay out of this, please? I have it under control."

"Weird, you said that the same day you came into this gym with your face beat in and blood in your lungs."

Alice glares at him, "How about this, I'm not going to let you get into this. You already know way too much about me for my comfort. So, you don't even get a choice now, you're just going to stay out of it, no more 'dynamic duo' shit. I'm done with that. I don't need anyone, and I certainly, do not need you." With that, she stalks off.

He watches her as she goes, his hands balling into fists at his side. "To hell with that." He bolts in the other direction, grabbing his leather jacket, and going out the doors.

* * *

Alice is making noodles when her phone keeps chiming. She grabs it, irritated. She sees twenty unread text messages, she quickly clicks on it, leaning against the counter, reading through them. All of them bearing the same message.

_You sent Moxley, as part of our deal, I won't hurt him. But I never said I wouldn't hurt anyone else. Special delivery, pumpkin! Take a look out your window._

Alice runs over to the window to watch a black van pull up. She watches Francis throw Chris and Jon from the car. She gasps when she see's that Chris's face is covered in blood and he's spitting it up on the pavement as Jon frantically tries to help him. Alice bolts, she runs through the door and outside. She can hear Francis's laughter as he drives away.

"No no no." She's saying as she grabs Chris's head, seeing a large red wound at the back of his head, "Look what you did!" She shouts at Jon.

They both help Chris into the house and Alice scurries in the direction of the first aid cabinet.

"Grab the keys, he's going to need stitches." Jon instead says, putting an arm around Chris, "Grab a towel so we can apply pressure to the wound on the way there, I'll get him out to the car, hurry."

Alice rushes about, hurriedly grabbing a towel and tossing it over her shoulder. She grabs her car keys and races outside to see Jon already helping Chris into the car. She speeds on the way to the hospital.

They get out of the car at the emergency room entrance, "I'll park the car, get him in there." Alice says without looking at Jon, yet shooting many worried looks towards Chris.

Jon doesn't respond, he just does as he's told.

She parks the car after a few minutes of restless searching. Alice hurries back to the entrance doors to see Jon sitting alone in the waiting room. Alice sits down next to him, her face somber. Alice isn't sure if she has the strength to even look at Jon without attacking him.

This was his fault.

Chris was in the emergency room because Jon couldn't keep his hands to himself.

All of his fault.

Alice was cursing him in her head. It got to the point that she was shouting instead of talking, she had to put her head down so she didn't explode. She puts her head into her hands.

On the other hand, it was her fault. She brought Francis into their lives, it was her fault. She constantly ruined everything she touched. Chris was an amazing friend and was trying to be there for her. Alice just threw him in the other direction as if he was nothing but trash, as if he was something stuck to the bottom of her foot. Alice treated him like shit and he dealt with it. They were friends. She wasn't so sure after this. Chris couldn't trust her after this, and she couldn't trust herself. She wouldn't allow herself to get close to anyone again.

Everyone just kept getting hurt.

"I fucked up."

She looks over at him, pulling her head out of her hands, sighing, "Yeah." She agrees, "You really did."

Jon assesses her, her eyes are frantic and wild. Her hair is messy, curls all over, her sweater has drooped to reveal one of her shoulders. She's curled into some protective ball, as if she was warding everyone out.

Alice puts her chin on her knees, "He'll be okay."

"I should have stayed out of it, all of it."

Alice looks over at him, a sad smile on her face, "A little too late for that."

He puts a hand on her knee, "Yeah."

They wait in silence after that.


	10. Chapter 10

Alice helps Chris into his home, he's hobbling on his leg, heavily bandaged. He has a cut in his lip, and he just looks like hell, to be frank. She helps him onto his couch, her teeth clenched.

"Thanks Alice." Chris says, laying back on his sofa, his long hair ruffled.

"No problem." She chokes on her words, "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Chris shakes his head, though his eyes clench in pain at the motion, "Nah Alice, I'm fine, you can go."

She glances down at her converse, shyly kicking the ground, "You're mad at me."

"You couldn't have done anything."

She bites her lip, looking away, refusing to argue with him when he's in this condition. He's laying on his couch, having trouble breathing, because Alice was scared. She couldn't keep Francis at bay. She was so helpless and so fucking stuck in her own world she couldn't see the people she was hurting outside of it.

"Well.. see you around then." Alice grumbles, turning on her heel towards the door.

"Hey, Alice."

She whips around.

"Don't blame yourself." Chris says, "I hate it when you do that. You look like a wounded kitten, and that hurts a hell of a lot more than this." He nods towards his body, "Don't beat yourself up over it."

Alice nods, giving him a small smile, "Feel better."

She leaves with a knot in her stomach and tears in her eyes.

* * *

Alice goes home, dropping her leather jacket on the ground. Jon stares at her from the couch, his eyes glassy and the entire room smelling like booze and sadness. She doesn't want to join his pity party, so she storms into her room.

She's shocked when she sees a blonde head similar to her own sitting on her bed, ruffling through her drawers.

"You still draw?" Elena asks, her voice scratchy and her arms dotted with tracks.

Alice shuts the door, quietly, "Not as much. What are you doing here?"

"You let him out." Elena's voice chokes up, "How could you? Why didn't you just give them our story?" Elena stands up abruptly, "I bet you couldn't wait to tell those pigs just how awful your whole fucking life has been, boo hoo. We could have had it, our revenge, our _justice_. And you went, and you fucking spat on it."

Alice looks away from her, biting her lip, "I think you should leave."

Elena takes a step closer to Alice, "What? So Francis can jump me in a corner? You have no idea what you've done."

"You really thought the cops would believe some drug addict and poor excuse of a woman? You really fucking thought they'd believe you? Come on Elena, I know you used to be brighter than that."

Key words being, used to be.

Elena looks down, her words visibly effecting her, "You did a really good job, didn't you little sister? I mean, you have it all, don't you? Living in someone else's apartment, beating up people day and night. Well gee, aren't you just the model sibling? Look at you, little miss perfection. Don't act all innocent. Don't act like you're better than me, because you're not."

Alice raises an eyebrow at her, "Please enlighten me as to why some drug addicted, chain smoking, drunk _bitch_ thinks she's so much better than me. Please, tell me! I'd love to hear it."

Instead of replying, Elena slaps her. It stings so badly it brings tears to Alice's eyes. Alice holds her cheek, turning back to her sister, with a deadly glare in her eye.

"You know, you probably shouldn't hit people who have been _trained_ to hit people harder." Alice flies at her, fists and slapping and scratching, pent up anger and just fucking wrath and fury. She can't stop hitting her because if she stops she'll regret it later.

Alice's door flies open and Jon Moxley stumbles in his drunk stupor. Grabbing Alice around the waist, ripping the screaming wailing woman off of Elena Evans. Alice flails in his arms, considering switching her attack victim to him.

Elena takes the chance to dart out the door. Alice tries to shift to go after her, but Jon keeps her tight against him. Alice hears the front door slam and she knows it's over. Jon drops her and she doesn't prepare herself. She just hits the floor, a mess of a woman, just crumpled. She curls into herself, putting her head against her knees.

Jon just stares at her, setting his beer on her dresser. He sits down next to her, not saying a word.

"You shouldn't have ripped me off of her." Alice says, breaking the silence.

"You're bleeding." He says instead. He idly pokes her wound on her cheek, "Not that bad, probably going to get infected." He stands up then, leaving her for a few moments to grab the first aid kit.

She grabs at the wound, realizing how badly they beat the shit out of each other. Alice is fairly certain Elena is going to have trouble walking for a few days. Alice can feel every spot where Elena's nails dug into her. Alice takes her hand away, seeing her hands stained with red.

Alice looks down at the floor, angry at herself. She let herself lose control again. All because of Francis. This was exactly what he wanted. He wanted her to turn on everyone who gave a shit about her.

Jon comes back in, dropping himself on the floor beside her. He dabs at her wound with disinfectant, it stings, she clenches her teeth but refuses to let it bother her.

"I didn't expect that." Jon dryly jokes, "I was expecting a lovely heart to heart conversation."

"You obviously don't know me that well then. I'm more of a fist to face type of chick."

"Yeah, I can see that." Jon grabs a band aid, putting it on her face, "All fixed up, Nurse Jon to your service."

"I fucked up again. I seem to be making a nasty habit of that."

Jon looks down at the bloodied bandages in his hand, throwing it into the garbage can. "Nah, everyone around you seems to be fucking up. You're just getting lost in the chaos."

"Another nasty habit of mine."

Jon stands up, grabbing the first aid kit, "At least I know one thing after tonight."

"That would be?" Alice asks, looking up at him.

"You're the toughest chick I'm ever going to meet." Jon winks at her, stumbling out of the room, his signature smirk on his face.

Alice hates the smile that comes to her face.

* * *

Alice wakes up and sees Jon laying on the couch nursing his hangover. "You might want to quit drinking."

Jon looks over at her, shaking his head, "Nah, you just need to stop fighting everyone in your path. I can't tear you off of every stupid bitch."

"Don't call her that."

"Why not? You did, quite a few times actually." Jon stands up, walking over to her, "Want to tell me what that nasty bout was about?"

"Take a wild guess."

"Francis?"

"Ah, how'd you know?" Alice pours herself a cup of coffee, leaning against the counter, "I thought I was hiding it so well."

Jon gives her a little smirk, placing his hands on either side of the counter, "That's not all is it? You're hiding something from me."

Alice innocently drinks her coffee, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're doing it again."

"What are you talking about?"

"Looking at me all funny."

"Maybe this is just my, 'I'm trying not to slap you' face. I tend to use it quite a bit around you."

"When we had that conversation in the parking lot, you had that same face."

Alice rolls her eyes, sighing, "Jon."

"Alice." He says, a smirk on his lips, "Are you starting to, god forbid, like me?"

Alice chokes on her coffee, nearly spraying it everywhere. Jon gives her a little smirk, completely pleased with himself. "Jonathan Moxley, I'm fairly certain you've completely lost it."

Jon takes a step closer to her, hard to understand how he could get any closer since he was already pressing her against the counter. He blinks, his piercing blue eyes creating a hole in her soul. "So have you." His lips slowly curl into a smirk.

Alice has the strange urge to grab his face and kiss him madly.

She dismisses the thought as soon as it comes, dubbing herself 'absolutely bonkers'.

"I have places to be. So if you mind..." Alice makes a small shoving motion with her hand.

"No problem, kitten." He steps away from her, but before doing so, he places a light chaste kiss on her cheek, "Who knows, you might be worth the fight after all." He breathes against her skin.

She feels a huge lump build in her throat. As he pushes off of her and walks away.

This can't be good.

Oh shit.

This really can't be good.

As he walks away from her, Alice feels her eyes widen in panic. Holy shit, she was _not_ starting to like him. She hated him, she wanted to rip his tonsils out and feed them to carnivorous turtles. She did _not_ want to feel his skin against hers - shit. Oh shit.

Alice storms out of the kitchen, rushing to her room. Leaving the coffee on the counter, forgotten.

She quickly punches in Saraya's number.

She gets Saraya's voice mail.

"So yeah, things might have gotten a little beyond crazy. By beyond crazy, I mean me, I've lost it. Call me as soon as you get this, no matter what time." Alice says hurriedly into the phone. She hangs it up quickly.

She sighs, leaning against her wall, sliding down to the floor. "God damn it, Alice. You couldn't have had worse timing for this."


	11. Chapter 11

Alice didn't have a match this week. She calmly let Joey know she wasn't feeling that good. So he let it slide without too many curious looks. Alice laid on the couch, a blanket entangled between her legs as she watched re-runs of Rosanne. She would absentmindedly touch the cut on her lip, feeling the familiar sting. Needless to say, her confrontation with Elena left its mark.

The door slams open and Alice jumps up, staring curiously. She goes over to the door to see Jon, leaning heavily against the door frame, bleeding profusely. She quickly reaches for him but he swats her away.

"Don't need your help." He breathes, stumbling into the apartment, clutching the wall for support. He has a gash in his head, leaving blood dripping down his face. This was the reality of the indies.

Alice steps away from him but hovers. Letting her hands trail behind him when he looks as if he's going to collapse. He's grinding his teeth together, making pained noises with each step. He gets into the bathroom and leans against the counter.

Alice grabs the first aid kit, and she grabs a rag and dumps into into a bucket of warm water. He suddenly mumbles.

"Get on the counter."

She hops onto the counter, popping open the first aid kit. She dips a cotton ball into the disinfectant. He grabs her legs suddenly then, pulling her flush against him. Her face turns a bright red, and he absentmindedly puts his hands against her thighs, before letting them fall to the cold marble next to them. Needless to say, she forgot how to breathe. She moves his curly hair away from the cut, he sharply intakes breath.

"Sorry." She says, "This is going to sting." She assesses, he closes his eyes. She presses the cotton ball lightly against the cut. He doesn't wince, accustomed to the pain. After she's cleaned it out, she puts a band aid against it. She then grabs the warm rag, washing the blood off of his face. He opens his eyes then.

"It wasn't Francis." He raggedly says.

"I know." Alice says, dabbing a little harder at the blood on his cheek. Alice runs her thumb over his lower lip, unsure if he had another cut or if it was dry blood. She's surprised by how he suddenly intakes his breath and how predatory his eyes become from the motion. "Sorry." She says, quickly retrieving her thumb.

He grabs her hand before she lets it fall back to her side.

She watches him curiously, unsure if she was breathing at this point. He suddenly lets her hand fall back to her side, pushing off of her. He walks into the center of the bathroom, leaving her confused on the counter. He runs a hand through his hair, some of the tips of his hair stained with blood.

"No, I'm sorry." Jon suddenly says, crossing the room back to the counter, grabbing Alice by the waist and pulling her against him again, his lips crashing down on hers. Alice tries to gasp but realizes his lips are against hers, she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Her gasp invites his tongue into her mouth, and he's kissing her feverishly, his hand sliding up the back of her shirt, his cold palm flesh against her warm skin. His other hand ensnares itself into her golden hair, they break apart for a moment for breath, but his lips crash against hers once more. He tastes like mint and blood, Alice realizes, throwing herself further into the kiss itself.

Suddenly, a knock at the bathroom door causes the two to spring apart.

"Hey Moxley, you all right in there? Sorry I had to leave so early, I had to meet Tyler and help him perfect a moonsault so he didn't fucking kill himself. Have you seen Alice? She said somethin' about not feeling good, you think she's okay?.." Joey calls through the door.

Jon looks over at her, his mouth slightly ajar, his lips curl into a smirk, "I think she's just fine." He calls back.

"Yeah? She probably went to sleep already. She's been having a tough time lately...anyways, speaking of sleep, I'm going to hit the hay, see you in the morning, Moxley." Joey's footsteps sound as he walks away. They hear the click of his bedroom door, and only then, does Alice start breathing again. She glances down at her feet, her lips still stinging from Jon's kisses.

"Better than I imagined." Jon says with a satisfied wink, leaving the room.

Alice stares open-mouthed after him. She waits a few moments then hops down too, retreating to her own room.

* * *

Alice lays on her stomach, her laptop opened to Skype, as she clicks 'call' on Saraya's page. Thankfully, a happy British woman shows up on her screen with dark hair and pale skin.

"Thank god!" Alice just about sighs in relief, "You have no idea how much I've been trying to contact you."

Saraya makes a pained expression, "Might have been my fault, I got into a fight and the chick smashed my phone with her large arse. I meant to tell you, but I've just finally gotten free time! I was going to call you, actually. So this is fairly ironic. Now what's up, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Alice puts her face in her hands, "I did something _really_ stupid." She groans through her fingers.

Saraya furrows her eyebrows, "Now that doesn't sound in character at all."

Alice rolls her eyes, putting her hands down, "I'm not sure if I can even say it."

"Say it."

"I can't."

"Well you did it, so you can say it. Spit it out, Alice!"

Alice puts her forehead against her mattress, "Ah shit, I just screwed things up, okay? Big time. Seriously fucked up."

"Does it have to do with Francis?"

"No." Alice pulls her head back up, running a hand through her hair, "Jon. It has to do with Jon."

Saraya ponders for a moment, suddenly, she gasps, "You didn't."

Alice grimaces.

"You dirty little fiend! I knew it!"

"You _knew it_?" Alice scowls, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well, you slept with him, obviously!"

Alice growls at her British friend, "I did not _sleep_ with him. He came back from his match all torn up and I nursed him back to health and he.. kissed me." She looks down, feeling her face flush by the memory.

Saraya smiles, pearly whites flashing at Alice through the computer screen, "That's so cute."

"I don't do cute."

"I wanted to say sexy but I was fairly certain you'd slam your laptop shut." Saraya shrugs, picking a piece of hair out of her eye, "So what's the relationship then? Friends with benefits, boyfriend girlfriend...? Come on, give me something."

Alice bites her index finger nail, "We haven't talked about it."

Saraya glares at Alice, "You're avoiding him, aren't you? Is that why you're in your room right now? You're hiding!"

"So?! What's wrong with hiding? I'm trying to keep things as low key as possible between us. Argh, did I just say us? Is there really an 'us' now? I wish you were here. Then I could hide in your luggage and go back to the UK with you."

"I love you, but you have to deal with this. Think about your answer to this question, do you like Jon Moxley? As more than a bickering buddy? If you have to stumble over your answer for even a minute, there's something there that you just don't want to admit right now. So get off of your arse, stop driving yourself bonkers, and figure it out." Saraya scolds her.

Alice bites her lip, looking down, "What if I don't like the outcome?"

"Then you have to live with it babe." Saraya smiles, "I know you're bloody terrified of commitment and all of that, but this could be good for you. Jon could be good for you, he's a good guy, Alice, just open your eyes."

"Jon Moxley? Good for me? Now who's crazy?"

"Still you." Saraya laughs, "Still you." She repeats, "Go get em." Saraya winks and signs off.

Alice growls at the screen, throwing up a middle finger and closing the laptop screen. "Damn it." She sighs, putting her face in the sheets again, "This isn't fair, not fair at all."

Her phone chimes and she opens a text message from an unknown number.

_We're not done just yet_. It reads.

Alice furrows her eyebrows and her phone starts to ring. She answers it without looking at the caller ID.

"I thought we had a deal that you'd leave me-"

"Alice?"

Her face falls, "Chris? Oh hey, what's up? How you feeling?"

"A lot better, actually." Chris chuckles, "I was calling about you. You seem way distraught when I last spoke to you."

Alice leans against her pillows, "Eh, nothing's really changed with me. Same ol' Alice, just new problems." She shrugs, playing idly with a string on her bed sheets.

"New problems? Is it Moxley? Say the word and I'll dismember him for you. Guy is too cocky for his own good, just trouble. That's all he is, trouble. You've been being careful around him, right?" Chris asks, "Wouldn't want you to be another girl who fell for the Mox charms."

Alice grimaces, putting her hand on her forehead, "I've been being careful. Lets just say, I've been tiptoeing around the guy for weeks. That isn't going to change anytime soon."

Alice closes her eyes, feeling her heart jolt, Jon Moxley had worked his way under her skin. Now he was in her head, all the fucking time. Why couldn't he keep those lips of his to himself? Why'd he have to bring her into.. _this_? Into whatever the hell they called 'this', what game were they playing?

"You still there?" Chris asks.

"Barely." Alice breathes, "I have to let you go, I have a lot to think about, plus I need a nap, a long one."

"See ya around, Alice."

"See ya." Alice hangs up the phone and sinks further into her pillows. "No fucking way." She shakes her head stubbornly, "I'm not going to be one of those girls." She announces to no one in particular.


	12. Chapter 12

Alice must have fallen asleep after her conversations with Chris and Saraya. She wakes up and her room has darkened. She eyes her alarm clock and sees that it reads in bright red numbers: 4:27 AM. She groans, rolling back on her side, shoving her face into the mess of pillows once more. She hears thunder that shocks her out of her sleepy daze. She gets up, switching on the lamp and peering outside. Suddenly, her lamp goes out.

"Ah fuck!" She hears from the living room.

Alice gets out of her bed and finds her way to her door. She opens it, "Joey? Jon?" She asks tentatively.

"Yeah, it's me. Ah, fuck!" She hears Jon Moxley's voice reply as he kicks a few things out of his way, cursing, "Just a blackout, get back to bed." She doesn't move, "Well make yourself fucking useful, help me find a flashlight, a candle, anything."

Alice goes into the closet by the front door. She reaches up, groping for anything. She finds a flashlight and she flicks it on, aiming it right at Jon.

"Fucking shit, Alice! Get that out of my face!"

"Shut up, that was an accident." She curses at him, tossing him the flashlight, "Now stop tripping over yourself, I'm trying to sleep." Alice walks past him to her room.

Jon looks after her, confused, he tilts his head to the side, raising his eyebrows up, "Well, what am I supposed to do?"

Alice stands in her doorway, putting a hand on her hip, "What you do in the dark is _really_ not my problem. Go play with the other hooligans, I really don't care." She's about to shut her door but Jon puts a hand on it, stopping the door.

"Why don't you sit out here with me and talk? You do enough of that on your own."

"It's almost five in the morning. Crazy idea, be normal and go to bed! Not exactly feeling like having a heart to heart chat about the weather right now." Alice says, pushing the door against his hand. He only seems to push harder.

"Five minutes."

"No."

"You scared?"

"Of five minutes? I'm not usually frightened of lengths of time. Maybe another new habit I'm picking up while hanging around you so much."

"I meant of me."

"I have better things to waste my fear on." Alice tries shutting the door again and nearly succeeds, but Jon stops her once more. He eyes her curiously.

"So we're back to this?"

Alice bites her lip, closing her eyes angrily, "Back to what, Jon? Do I even dare ask?" She pops them open, staring at him.

"I thought things changed. Between us."

Alice shakes her head, "I'm not one of those girls, Moxley. I'm not going to be one of them either. So whatever you thought, you thought wrong. It was.. a spur of the moment thing, don't over think this."

Jon nods slowly, biting his bottom lip, "Yeah, fucking stupid of me, really. You're obviously not worth the trouble." He growls at her, then storms away.

Alice lets her head droop back, making a frustrated noise and going after him, "Jon!"

Jon whips around so quickly Alice has to step back or she'll collide into him. "What, Alice?"

Alice looks down at her feet, realizing she didn't even know what to say, "Nothing." She says instead, storming away from him.

Jon purses his lips and nods, "Of course." He says, hearing her door slam. He drops onto the couch, cracking open a warm beer. It trickles down his throat and he closes his eyes, leaning against the couch.

* * *

When Jon wakes up, he's still on the couch. The TV had turned back on when the power decided to come back. The news was playing and he groaned, hungover as fuck. He switches the TV off, running his hands through his tousled hair. He yawns and sees Joey over by the sink.

"Look who's finally awake." Joey says, scrubbing a mug, "Do you know what's up with Alice? She seemed pretty spazzy this morning. I'd blame it on her coffee overdoses, but she seemed.. different."

Jon scratches his head, "Is Alice still here?"

"Nah, she darted out pretty early. Mumbling about doing errands all day, said she'd be back late."

"Course." Jon scoffs, standing up and stretching, "She's avoiding me."

Joey turns around to give him a curious look, "What did you do this time, Moxley? Last time I checked, she was plotting your demise and had a strategic plan for doing so."

Jon walks over to Joey, grabbing the mug and a towel, drying it, "I kissed her."

Joey's eyes widen, "You didn't."

Jon shrugs, "You calling me a liar?"

"So, how hard did she slap you?" Joey asks, chuckling nervously, eyeing Jon out of the corner of his eye.

"She didn't."

Joey stops washing dishes to stare at Jon incredulously. "You're fucking lying, there is no way in fucking hell, that you, Jon Moxley." He says his name with an edge, "Kissed_ my_ Alice. She's like my little sister and I've seen her toss men around the ring like they were pieces of paper. There's no way she let you get away with that."

Jon puts a hand against the counter, "Well believe it. She calls it a 'spur of the moment' thing. But that kiss didn't feel too PG and 'spur of the moment' to me."

Joey is still staring at him, his mouth open, "You're kidding. Where's the bruise?! How the fuck did you get out of there alive?"

Jon shrugs, "It's a mystery to me too."

* * *

Alice throws punches at the bag furiously. Chris Hero stands behind the bag, trying to keep it in place for her. She seems angry, pissed more of the word. She keeps swatting at the bag.

"What's up, Alice?"

Alice glances up at Chris, away from the bag, and she stops hitting it, "I'm sorry. I've just.. got a lot on my.. plate right now." She finishes lamely. Holding the punching bag, "I think I need to move out of Joey's apartment."

Chris eyes her curiously, "Any special reason?" He suggests loosely.

"You know."

"You're an open book." Chris shrugs, letting go of the bag and joining her on the other side of it. "I've never seen you looked so freaked out before. I figured, hey, probably because of Jon Moxley. Then you seemed angry, so I just connected those dots together. So, he kissed you?"

Alice furrows her eyebrows at him, "I'm not sure if you're stalking me, psychic, or just a crazy good detective." Alice takes off her gloves, tossing them to the side. "I think crazy is what you are."

Chris looks over at the doorway, "... Alice."

Alice looks up, "What?"

"Look."

Alice whips around to see Francis in the doorway, Elena tightly gripped in his hand. She's bleeding and she looks broken. Her mascara is rolling down her cheeks and she looks terrified. Alice charges over to them, "What did you do to her?"

"I just finished the job you already started." Francis throws Elena at her feet, "Give her a swift kick, pumpkin. Show her a lesson." He nods again, insistently, "Go on now."

Alice's eyes meet Francis's, and she swears, she sees a small spark of herself in those eyes. The same Alice that viciously attacked Elena only a few nights ago. Alice had sworn she would not become him.

"No." She announces, shaking her head, "No, you're not doing this. Not anymore. I won't let you." She reaches down and pulls Elena up, pushing her in the direction of Chris, "Chris, get her out of here."

Chris looks like he's about to protest, but the woman who just about falls into his arms persuades him otherwise. He grabs Elena and leads her out the backdoor of the gym.

"I can't tell if you're brave or stupid." Francis comments, walking a circle around her, his hands folded behind him, "My little Alice, so young, so _naive_." Francis laughs.

Alice whips around to face him, "I did what you told me. I bailed you out of jail, I played your sick little game. I'm tired of playing. Game over." Alice charges for the doors and he grabs her by the hair, pulling her back.

"Listen here you little bitch, you don't decide when this game ends, I do." Francis growls into her ear, "And we are far from done."

Alice kicks up her back foot, kicking him in the groin. He lets go of her hair and she uses the opportunity to punch him square in the face. His nose blossoms into a steady stream of blood. Trickling down his face, past his lips. He smiles, blood getting on his teeth. Alice takes a few steps back, trying to decide whether to flee or fight.

Francis lunges at her again yet she's two steps ahead of him. She kicks the back of his knee and punches him in the throat. She yanks his hair back and slams him against the pavement.

"You're learning." He chokes.

"You are so fucked up." Alice spits, kicking him in the head. Surprisingly, it knocks him out. He lays on the floor, his eyes sliding closed. Suddenly, the front doors are thrown open and Jon Moxley is standing in the doorway. His eyes wild and his hair messy.

"You're okay." He lets out the air he had been holding during the entire drive.

Alice looks over at him, "Yeah, I'm okay."

Jon crosses the room in a few strides, wrapping his arms around her petite frame. She wasn't prepared for it, so she awkwardly puts her hands against his chest. She was never much of a hugger. Some things just don't change.

"Chris called you, didn't he?" Alice grumbles into his chest.

"Of course, I should have shown up sooner." Jon releases her, lifting her chin up, "Any damage?"

"Only if I had a weave." Alice absentmindedly touches the back of her head, "I had it under control."

"I really fucking hate it when you say that."

Alice pats him on the chest, "Go back home."

"What are you going to do with him?" Jon nods at Francis's knocked out body.

"I don't know, hide him in a storage box, destination, Africa? I'll probably just call the cops to pick him up." Alice shrugs, taking a piece of hair out of her face.

"You going to tell them the truth?"

"Of course not."

"Alice."

"I'm not doing this right now, Moxley." Alice snaps at him, walking towards the back doors.

Jon storms after her, "Why the fuck not, Alice?! Why do you always pull this shit?! Every time I want to talk to you about anything potentially upsetting, you shut me down! I'm getting really fucking sick of it! I want to help you, is that so hard to believe?"

Alice whips around so quick he almost collides with her, "You want to know why I won't do this right now?" She gestures between the two, "Because they won't fucking believe me! They won't believe a damn word I say!"

"Don't say that-"

Alice snaps at him, "I am going to say that, because it's true. They'll look back at my history and, that's it. I'm done for." Tears brim in her eyes, "They'll think I'm making it up."

"There's no making something like this up, Alice! There's evidence all around them! Alice, just for fucking once, do something for yourself. Your history can't be that bad, what, a few indecent exposures or some shit like that?" Jon runs a hand through his messy hair, "You've got me, you know that."

Alice looks away from him, "I know that, I just." Alice runs a hand through her hair, "There's just some things that you can't explain. Don't want to explain. Just, Jon, stop pushing. I'm not going to say anything."

"If you won't, I will."

"Jon-"

Jon towers over her, "No, Alice, no more bullshit. For once, the truth. I know it's going to be hard to handle since you lie to yourself all the fucking time - but just this once-"

"Excuse you?" Alice steps closer to him, "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Alice glares at him, but the redness that rises to her cheeks betrays her, "We're done here."

"We've been done for a while, princess." Jon sneers at her, storming away from her in the opposite direction.

Alice grimaces, leaning her head against the wall, hitting her head against the cold cement, "Stupid stupid stupid." She repeats. There was no getting out of this one now.


	13. Chapter 13

She would not go to the police. Jon could bitch her ear off as much as he wanted to. They were just words to her. Alice would roll her eyes, scoff, and walk away, because that's what she was good at. Finally, he decided to let her off the hook, moving out of her way as she exits the Gym. She heads for the back parking lot. Chris and Elena are against the other building, Elena sitting as Chris awkwardly hovers over her.

Chris waves Alice over, "Hey! How'd things go in there?"

Alice shrugs, putting her hands in her pockets as she walks towards them, "He's knocked out cold. Moxley's getting rid of him. Probably going to dump him in a deserted alley or something."

"Sounds like him." Chris glances down at Elena, "She's okay, frazzled, but okay."

Elena glances up at Alice, her eyes scared, "Thanks.. for that in there." She nods towards the Gym doors, "You could have.." She swallows hard, "Just, thank you."

Alice licks her lips, looking away from her, "I didn't do it for you so don't think this is some kind of fucked up reunion between us."

Elena sighs, shaking her head, "Didn't think that for a second."

"Good."

"I see the lip is healing nicely." Elena quips.

"Just because I didn't kick the shit out of you in there, doesn't mean I won't do it out here." Alice warns her, "Now go home, before I decide to change my mind."

Elena gets up shakily, but she leaves. Wobbling down the street. Chris looks at Alice curiously, "That's your sister." He finally says.

"Was." Alice corrects him, "That mess of a woman? Not my sister."

Chris looks at the doors to the Gym, he nods at them, "I heard a lot of shouting in there. Moxley, I'm assuming?"

Alice glances away from him, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well too fucking bad."

Alice looks at him, "Excuse me?"

"You can't do this, you can't keep shutting yourself down every time someone wants to talk about something you don't want to talk about. For instance, lets talk about what happened today." Chris says.

Alice sighs, running a hand through her golden hair, "Fine, lets."

"He's the one who beat you so badly you had to move in with Joey, isn't he?" Chris asks, worry filling his eyes, "Alice, you should have told me. I could have helped you."

Alice swallows hard, shaking her head, "No, you couldn't have. Not without getting hurt. Moxley tried to help and that got you hurt, I'm done letting everyone around me get hurt. It's time for me to deal with this."

Chris scratches his stubble, "How are you going to do that?"

"I guess we'll see."

* * *

Alice walks into the apartment, Moxley is sitting on the couch. When he sees her, he quickly lets his eyes slide back to the TV, obviously still angry with her after their discussion.

"No flirting? Not even an angry huff?" Alice comments, hanging her jacket on a hook.

Jon looks over at her, getting up and turning off the TV, "I said what I needed to say."

"Look - I know things have been - well, strange, since we, erm, kissed or whatever. But we can go back to how things were before-" Alice begins, but he cuts her off before she can say another word.

Jon shakes his head, "No, Alice, we can't go back to how things were before." He stands up, walking over to her, "You get under my skin, you get into my fucking head. And to be honest, you act like you're fucking better than me all the time. But every time I see you, I just think about kissing you, I just want to grab you and just kiss you all the time. I can't go back, Alice."

Alice can hardly breathe, her breath catching in her throat. She glances nervously at her torn up converse, "Uh, Jon.." She starts, unsure how to even finish.

"Don't say anything, just let me..." His forehead presses against hers, his blue eyes now looking desperate and sad. He lightly places his lips against hers, none of this rough kissing like in the bathroom. But light, soft. His lips press into hers like a feather, soft and coaxing. He stops kissing her and she feels disappointment wash through her when he does.

He grabs his leather jacket off the hook, and he leaves. Alice is tempted to stop him, but she stays rooted to her spot.

Jon Moxley's kisses burning on her lips.

* * *

She talks to the police. She tells them her story. She doesn't cry, her voice doesn't shake. Though she finds herself tearing at her lip whenever she pauses. They listen as she explains it all.

It had all started when she was seven. She had gotten into a fight on the playground with a fellow student. She had left the fight bloodied, bruised, and sobbing for her Mother and Father. Her Mother gathered her into her arms, kissed her head, and told her everything was going to be just fine. Her Father, Francis, wouldn't even give her a second look.

Her Mother died in a crash caused by a drunk driver, at the same age of seven. She grieved, she cried, her Father told her she was _weak, _'a captive to her own emotions'. Alice would try to stick her bottom lip out and ignore the tears falling from her eyes over the lost woman, all for him.

That's when it all started. Francis began to push her, the small seven year old, into picking fights. She had been tossed between elementary schools as they tried to figure out why the sudden outbursts of anger had occurred.

Alice would bite her lip, give the therapists a nice toothy smile, and respond with, "I'm fine." Which seemed to become her motto throughout her life.

When her 14th birthday came, that's when the abuse truly began. He'd only shoved her around before, riling her up. Now he was throwing punches and shouting obscene names at the small teenager.

Alice grew up fighting.

When she turned seventeen, her sister turned 18 only a few days later. Alice left her home with Elena, leaving a very angry Francis behind. Elena's coping was different. She found relief in a needle and a joint. While Alice found relief in wrestling. Elena would pop pills and Alice would drop elbows. When Alice turned 18, she moved into her own place, where Francis found her.

The cop across from her, Eric Parks, eyed her uneasily. "You expect us to believe all of that?" He asks.

"I hope you do."

Eric leans against the table, shaking his head, "Here's the thing, your track record doesn't record you as being honest. It records you of being the opposite actually." He flips open a folder, "Angry, compulsive, reckless, manipulative." He lets the words fly off his tongue, "You had a stint in a psych ward."

Alice feels her heart uncomfortably fling itself against her ribs, "Because he put me there."

"Attempts at suicide, intense case of paranoia." Eric shuts her folder, holding it up, "Everything in here tells me not to believe you."

She rattles off a list of names, Joey, Chris, Elena, Saraya, then Jon, "If you don't want to believe me. Believe them. They're the only ones who stuck by me and picked me up when I fell."

"If this has been going on for so long, why not come to us sooner?"

"You wouldn't have believed me."

"What makes now any different?"

"I have hope."

"Is that so?"

Alice nods, tying her fingers together, "I have hope in the people who have heard my story. Who have seen my story, who have become part of my story. You can look at some damn file until your eyes are sore. But what's printed on a piece of paper isn't me. Ask all of those people, what they say about me will be completely different from what you have in that." She nods at the folder.

Eric purses his lips, then he reaches into his back pocket, "My business card. Give it to your friends, they'll have to come in for questioning. If Francis bothers you before we formally find charges and evidence to charge him with.. you call us."

Alice takes the card, sliding it into her own pocket.

She leaves feeling exposed.

* * *

Alice runs into Jon at the front of the apartment, climbing out of his beat up mustang.

"Where have you been all day?" He asks.

"I could ask you the same thing." Alice says, she reaches into her back pocket, handing the business card to Jon.

He takes it in his calloused fingers, squinting at the small font on the paper. "Eric Parks? Cincinnati Police Department?" He glances up at her, "Is this some kind of trick?" He taps the business card against his hand repeatedly, "Nah, there's no way."

"You asked." She says, taking the business card back from him.

"Well my my my, Alice Evans, actually fucking listened to me!" Jon seems taken back by this, "Well, I suppose this means a celebration." He says, loosely putting an arm around her shoulders, "How's ordering chinese and watching WWE PPVs sound?"

Alice grins, "Hmm, sounds absolutely delightful!" She says as they walk up the apartment stairs. She grabs her key out, and unlocks the door. She walks in, "I'll order, you go find some half-assed PPV for us to splurge on."

"Got it." Jon calls over to her as he walks over to the TV and she walks over to the phone.

She looks over at him while she's ordering. She can't help the smile that spreads across her face, "Yep, that'd be great, thank you, bye!" She hangs up the phone, plopping herself down on the couch beside him, "So what is it tonight?"

"Unforgiven." Jon looks over at her, an innocent smirk plays across his lips, "Irony at it's finest."

Alice rolls her eyes, putting her feet up on the coffee table. She can't help but smile again.

Why was she smiling so much as of late?


	14. Chapter 14

Alice enters the gym, her bag over her shoulder as she prepares for her match tonight. She does a quick run of the ropes, practices some of her moves with Chris, though she's going through the motions. Distracting herself.

From that asshole who wouldn't get over her, Jon Moxley. She was surprised when he didn't bring up the topic of 'them' while watching Unforgiven. When he didn't bring it up when they went to bed, when they got up for breakfast. He didn't say a damn word and that scared her more than anything. The silence was screaming and she couldn't hear it.

Alice doesn't dodge Chris's clothesline, completely botches it. She falls to the ground, her throat burning, begging for air, she coughs, "Ah shit." She growls, holding her hand over her throat.

Chris helps her up, "Shit, Evans, you're usually more on top of this stuff. What's up?"

Alice shakes her head, rubbing her neck, "It's nothing Chris, just a bit distracted, that's all."

"Moxley." Chris rolls his eyes, "Bad for you. So bad for you. I'll tell you what the guy is, he's a fucking parasite. He'll take what he wants and then leave you for dead, I fucking promise it. I've watched the ring rats learn it and I don't want you to learn it the hard way."

"But he-"

Chris shakes his head, "Tell me I did not just hear Alice Evans, my Alice Evans, try to defend a guy she just wanted to dismember a few weeks ago. So it's official now, isn't it? Right under his spell. I expected more."

Alice glares at him, "I'm not under his spell."

"Oh yeah, what are you then? Go ahead, say _you're in love_ or some cheesy shit like that. Tell me about how he _makes you feel whole_, and how he 'makes your heart race'. That one's my favorite. The last one. Go on, I know you're going to."

Alice slaps him.

Her hand flush against his face, a loud slap sounds through the air. He holds his cheek after it, chuckling.

"I'm right, aren't I?" He says, but he isn't laughing anymore. He sounds.. sad. He looks over at her, his hand still on his cheek, "God dammit, Alice. I don't want to be right, don't let me be right."

Alice is confused then. He was just telling her how stupid she was, how she fell under his spell. Now he was begging her not to let even a small piece of her like Jon Moxley.

Chris just exits the ring then, not even allowing her time to respond.

* * *

Alice doesn't see Chris at her match that night. She sees Joey, briefly sees Moxley hurrying about backstage. Bitching about how no one was brave enough to face him. Alice got ready for her match.

She went out and was slaughtered.

She loses the match, it's such a painful loss. She's on her side, gasping for breath, she's bleeding in places she thought people shouldn't ever bleed in. There's a large gash on her forehead, and she's really feeling the deja-vu.

She dimly remembers stumbling to the back, Joey patching her up. She remembers plopping down on the couch and passing out.

Alice wakes up and her head is aching. She reaches for the glass of water, greedily drinking it. She realizes she'd been moved to her room.

"Not so fast." Jon says from her bedside, taking the glass gently out of her hands. "Gotta change your bandages, you bled through them." He says, pulling up a stool. He takes the bandage off slowly, Alice grimacing.

"My own personal nurse? Ouch - how'd I get so lucky.." She grimaces, making a pained yelp when he rips it off in one fast loop. He repeatedly curses when he realizes she's still bleeding. "Crazy idea, a hospital, just an idea."

"Nah, your insurance isn't covering this."

"It covered it last time."

"Barely."

Jon puts the bandage over her forehead quickly, smoothing it into place, "Okay, flip over and lift up your shirt."

Alice glares at him, "Not for you, Moxley."

Jon rolls his eyes, "Hey, it's either me or that doe-eyed Chris Hero you hang around. So far, I'm your only option unless you want Chris to come all the way down here from Chicago to nurse you. It isn't an easy fucking job, believe me."

Alice makes a noise of frustration, turning so she's laying on her back. He gingerly lifts up her shirt, only to the middle of her back. He quickly replaces the bandages and she flops back down on her back.

Jon, while disposing of the bandages says casually, "So you know Chris, he likes you." He takes a bandage off her arm and applies disinfectant, tearing open the bandaging wrapping with his teeth.

"No, he doesn't."

Jon dryly laughs, "So damn oblivious. Thought you'd at least see this one coming."

Alice takes her arm away from him, applying the bandage herself, "Is pissing me off supposed to be part of your occupation? Don't you have some villagers you haven't harassed? A village to tear apart?"

"You told me to stop tearing up the town."

"Mmm, well you get your privileges back, go have fun, you crazy kid." Alice says, giving him a weak smile, "As much fun as this has been, which is a nice way of saying this was torture, I think it's time we go our separate ways."

"Yeah, not yet."

"What is it now?" Alice groans.

Jon responds to this by leaving the room. Alice is confused, but she leans back against her pillows. At least until he comes back in. He has a large envelope in his hand. He hands it to her.

Alice realizes it's already been opened, "Now you're reading my mail? Getting clingy, are we? Have you already stolen pieces of my hair when I wasn't looking?"

"Just look at it."

Alice notes that he's in no mood for her nonsense. She opens the envelope, well, reaches into it and grabs out the papers. It's really thick, she notes. She pulls it out to see... WWE's logo.

Alice's eyes widen and she sits up in bed, her back bandage pulling against her skin. She runs her fingers across the cream paper, "It can't be..." She breathes, at a loss for words, "There.. there's no way."

Jon hooks his fingers underneath the stool, "What's it say?"

"You read it." Alice says with a glare. "They want to meet me, discuss a contract.." She says, a slow smile rising to her lips, "This is all I've ever wanted.. I.. I don't.."

"So you're going to sign with them?"

Alice looks over at him to see his face has darkened, "That was the plan, yes. Day one, this is all I've been trying to do."

"Get into some sexist organization where you'll be treated like some sex toy? Oh yeah, great fucking dream, they'll destroy your career. Mark my words. Two years time you'll be wishing that you were still in the fucking indies."

"Why are you so pissed?"

"Because your dream is stupid."

"Stupid? Wanting to get signed into one of the largest wrestling organizations in the world is _stupid_? Wanting to be able to change a division for the better, to become a great like Trish or Lita, that's stupid to you? I want my name in the history books! That isn't stupid!" Alice is close to shouting by now.

Jon gets up quickly, throwing the stool to the ground, causing Alice to jump, "You're going to throw away everything you've worked for, just for a few zeros at the end of your paycheck? Oh yeah? You know what the WWE Divas are? I'll tell you what they are, _whores_, all of them. Don't try and shout exceptions at me because you know it's true. Is that what you want to be, a whore?"

Alice gets up, even though it's painful, she slaps him, it's weak, just like she is. "You shut your goddamn mouth, Moxley. I can't believe, even for a second, I considered.." She cuts herself off, "This is my dream, and you're just.. you're just spitting on it!"

"Yeah, I'm spitting on it. Because that's exactly what Vince fucking McMahon is going to do to your career. He's going to spit on it, twist you until you become his little whore, just like Kelly Kelly, just like that little legend of yours, Trish Stratus, was it?"

Alice slaps him again, "Shut up! SHUT UP!" She's close to tears.

Jon gets closer to her, until he's looming over her, "I should have figured you were just as shallow as the fucking rest of em'. Why the fuck would I think for a minute you were better than every other whore in this business? You just wanted the paychecks, the fame. You were never here for the wrestling."

"It was always for the wrestling."

"Was it?"

"Damn right."

"Then don't sign it. Don't sign the contract. Don't go to the stupid meeting. If it's for the wrestling, stick to the real stuff." Jon says, "Then I'll believe you." Jon's about to leave her room.

"Tell me the real reason why you don't want me to sign."

Jon stops in the doorway, not turning to face her, "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"I think you do." Alice slowly walks over to him, "You don't want me to sign because you know I'll be leaving you behind. In two years time, I won't be wishing I was here. I'll be on the road, living my dreams. Meeting Stone Cold, meeting all of these guys and women I looked up to. And that drives you crazy, doesn't it?"

Jon swallows hard.

"You don't want me to leave."

Jon whirls around, "Here's a shocker, princess, the world, doesn't actually revolve around you. These past few weeks, you had me fooled, I'll give you that. Thought I'd be up for the challenge, thought you'd be a great screw. But all you did was jerk me around and fucking laugh. I actually fucking cared, but I'm not making that mistake again. Sign the stupid contract, go to the stupid meeting. Buy fancy clothes with your big paychecks, see if that makes you feel any better. Tell yourself that you're still in it for the wrestling when you're drinking yourself straight to alcoholism because you know I'm right." Jon leans in closer to her, "Then, when you're all alone at the end of the day, think of me, think about what you could have had."

He leaves the room, leaving Alice stunned.

_Buy fancy clothes with your big paychecks, see if that makes you feel any better. Tell yourself that you're still in it for the wrestling when you're drinking yourself straight to alcoholism because you know I'm right._

His words won't leave her.


End file.
